Question

Which of the following is false concerning horizontal gene transfer?

		Horizontal gene transfer includes conjugation, transformation and transduction
		Transducing phages contain foreign (previous host) DNA
		Generalized transducing phages come from temperate bacteriophages
		Competency is required for uptake of free DNA from solution and can be induced             in the lab by electroporation
		Horizontal gene transfer plays a major role in antimicrobial drug resistance

Answer 1

The answer will be generalized transducing phages come from temperate bacteriophages (Third option).

Explanation: Conjugation, transformation & transduction are three methods of horizontal gene transfer in bacteria. Transducing phages contain previous host DNA which may recombine with recipient bacterial DNA. Electroporation creates a hole in the cell membrane which increased competency. Drug resistance gene can be transferred from one bacterium to other through horizontal gene transfer. So, we can ignore first, second, fourth & last options. Generalized transduction occurs due to lytic (virulent) phages & not due to temperate phages. Thus, correct answer will be third option.