Bacterial strain A contains a plasmid. Bacterial strain B does not. After incubation together in a broth culture, strain B cells contain a capsule, which they did not have before the incubation period.

Devise an experiment to determine how strain B was able to acquire a gene it did not have previously.

To investigate the acquisition of a capsule gene by bacterial strain B, an experiment involving horizontal gene transfer is proposed. DNA containing the capsule gene from strain A is introduced to competent strain B cells through transformation.

To investigate how bacterial strain B acquired the capsule gene, a series of experiments involving horizontal gene transfer could be conducted. Horizontal gene transfer is the movement of genetic material from one organism to another that is not its offspring, often facilitated by mechanisms like transformation, transduction, and conjugation. Here's an experimental approach:

Experiment: Horizontal Gene Transfer Analysis

1. Isolation of Capsule Gene-Carrying Strain A DNA:

Extract DNA from bacterial strain A that contains the capsule gene responsible for capsule formation. This DNA will serve as the source of the target gene for transfer.

2. Preparation of Competent Cells:

Make bacterial strain B cells "competent" for DNA uptake by treating them with calcium chloride or other methods that increase their membrane permeability.

3. Transformation:

Mix the extracted DNA from strain A (containing the capsule gene) with the competent cells of strain B. The idea is to allow strain B cells to uptake the foreign DNA, potentially acquiring the capsule gene.

4. Selection and Culturing:

Plate the transformed strain B cells on a selective agar medium that promotes growth only in the presence of the acquired capsule gene. This could involve using antibiotics or other growth factors. Allow the transformed cells to grow into colonies.

5. Confirmation:

Perform PCR or other genetic tests on the colonies to confirm the presence of the capsule gene. Analyze the genetic material of the transformed strain B cells to determine if the acquired gene is now part of their genome.

6. Sequencing and Comparative Analysis:

If the capsule gene is detected in transformed strain B cells, sequence the gene and compare it with the original gene from strain A to confirm the acquisition. This step helps establish the origin of the acquired gene.

7. Controls:

Run control experiments, such as incubating strain B cells with their own DNA or unrelated DNA, to rule out other possibilities of capsule gene acquisition.

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