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F-plasmid
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The fertility F-plasmid, also known as the F-factor, is found in bacteria allowing bacterial conjugation (where genetic information is exchanged) between different bacterial cells.
A bacterial cell is described as F+ when it contains this plasmid, and F- when it does not. The F-plasmid is also an episome and can integrate into the cells circular genome, in this instance a cell would be described as Hfr.
When an F+ cell conjugates with an F− cell, the result is two F+ cells, both capable of transmitting the plasmid further by conjugation. In the case of Hfr, the result is one Hfr and one F− cell.
The F-plasmid has also been engineered so it contains inserted foreign DNA, called a fosmid.
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