COURSE TITLE: MICROBIAL VARIATION AND HEREDITY
COURSE CODE: MCB 211
LECTURER: DR HENRY OSHILONYAH
OUTLINE: Introduction
Definition of microbial variation
Heritable Variations
Types of Heritable variations
- Mutation
- Transformation
- Conjugation
- Transduction
- Transportation
- Heritable Variation
Causes of Variation
Factors that affects variation
Pleomophism
Plasmids
MIRCOBIAL VARIATIONS
They are referred to as any change in the
genotype of a micro organism(Bacteria) or it's
phenotype us known as variation. Genotypic
variation occur as a result of changes in the gene
by way of mutation, loss if acquisition of new
genetic elements. These variations are heritable.
Phenotypic variations are seen temporarily when
bacteria are grown under certain environmental
conditions. These variations are not heritable.
Heritable Variations:
Mutation: A gene will mutate spontaneously, about once in a
hundred million cell divisions. Such bacteria are called mutants.
Most of these mutants die, but when a mutant can adapt itself to
the environment more readily; it may emerge as a new variant.
Chromosomal mutations may lead to emergence of drug resistance
in bacteria. Examples include methicillin resistance in
Staphylococcus aureus, Multi-drug resistance in Mycobacterium
tuberculosis.
Transformation: Some bacteria have ability to uptake naked DNA
fragment from the surrounding environment. When such DNA
confers new property to the bacterium, it is termed
transformation. Change from R form to Streptococcus pneumoniae
to S form as demonstrated by Griffith is due to transformation.
CONJUGATION: Transfer of genetic material (usually
plasmids) from one bacterium to another through the
mediation of sex pili is known as conjugation.
Any property that is coded on a transmissible plasmid
can be transferred to as recipient bacterium. Properties
such drug resistance. Mediated by beta-lactamases,
bacteriocin production etc can be transferred by
conjugation.
TRANSDUCTION: Transfer of genetic material through
mediation of bacteriophage is known as transduction.
Only those strains of corynebacterium diphtheria that
are infected by a beta phage are toxigenic. Change in O
antigen in Salmonella species
TRANSPOSITION: Variations in the flagellar antigens in
salmonella are due to transposon. Similar gene
rearrangements may result in antigenic variations, as
in Neisseria gonorrhea and Borrelia recurrentis .
NON-HERITABLE VARIATIONS:
A variation in the phenotype of a micro organism,
where the genetic constitution remains unchanged is
a non-heritable variation. Such variation are seen due
to a change in environmental conditions and such
variations are neither permanent nor heritable. They
may revert back to normal state when the conditions
are restored.
Some examples are:
• Loss of flagella in S.typhi when grown in phenol agar(H-
O variation)(culture medium: plates of 5-10 days
absence of 0²
• Plemorphism (variation in shape)
• Lack of pigment production by S.aureus in anaerobic
conditions
• Formation of spheroplasts and protoplast
• V-W variation in Salmonella typhi that is characterized
by loss of Vi antigen
• S-R variation in Salmonella typhi that is characterized by
loss of O antigen and change in colony morphology to
rough type (culture medium of 1 week)
• Production of flagella
• Examples of micro organism that exhibit
plemorphism
• 1, Cocobacillus, Corneybacterium Diptheria Bacilli,
Legionella Pneumonia, Helilobacteria pylon
FACTOR THAT AFFECT VARIATION
• Environmental conditions –
• Climate, Nutrient
• PH,
• Temperature,
• Dissolved Oxygen,
• Energy Source etc.
• Listeria monocytogenes occurs at temperature less than
20°C ie. Environmental condition but favourable for
growth.
• PLEMORPHISM- describes a process whereby certain
group of micro organism have the ability to change or
alter their phorpholohy, biological functions, or
reproductive modes in response to environmental
conditions.
• PLASMIDS: A plasmid is a small, Chromosomal
• DNA molecule within cell that is
can replicate independently.
• They are commonly found as small
circular, double stranded DNA molecules
in bacteria.
• Plasmids yare sometimes present in
Eukaryotic organism
There are five main types of plasmids
1. Fertility plasmids (F – Plasmids)
2. Resistance plasmids
3. Virulence plasmids
4. Degradative plasmids
5. Colicin plasmids
