To map genes of a bacterial strain, conjugation must be interrupted at given times. Suppose you have Hfr cells of genotype a+b+c+d+e+strR and F- cells of genotype a- b- c- d- e- strS and you combine these two cultures in liquid medium in four blenders at time 0. After intervals of 3, 6, 9, and 12 minutes, you turn on successive blenders. What role does the blender play in the experiment?
A) shears the sex pili of conjugants
B) serves as a culture container only
C) acts as a mechanism to bring cells into contact
D) hastens conjugation events
E) speeds up molecular movement of DNA

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The blender physically disrupts the mating pairs by shearing the sex pili, which are the structures that facilitate the connection between the Hfr and F- cells during bacterial conjugation. This interruption allows for the determination of the sequence in which genes are transferred.

To Map Genes of a Bacterial Strain, Conjugation Must Be