process of conjugation

During conjugation, two genetically different prokaryotic cells contact one another, and the donor cell (F+) directly transfers DNA to the recipient cell (F-). In order for the transfer to occur, the donor cell makes direct contact with the recipient cell by forming a conjugation pilus. Following formation of the conjugation pilus, the F factor DNA (plasmid of about 100 genes) replicates by a process called the rolling circle mechanism. During this process, one strand of the closed loop is opened by an enzyme at a site referred to as OriT (origin of transfer). Sequentially, a new strand is synthesized to replace the DNA strand that is to be transferred. The single stranded DNA is then transferred to the recipient cell via the conjugation pilus. The recipient cell (F-) now becomes an F+ cell, and is considered to be a donor capable of transferring DNA to another F- cell.

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