When performing comparisons between pathogenic and non-pathogenic strains of E.

Question

When performing comparisons between pathogenic and non-pathogenic strains of E. coli, you find that the pathogenic strains have a large amount of additional genes, that are absent in the non-pathogenic strains.

Describe how you would try to determine which DNA was acquired by the pathogenic strains, and which was lost by the non-pathogenic strains, relative to their last common ancestor?

Upon further research, you learn that many of the unique DNA in the pathogenic E. coli is thought to have been acquired by “horizontal gene transfer.” Explain what this is.

Explanation / Answer

The genomic profile of both pathogenic and non pathogenic should be done. The gene which is present only in the pathogenic strain should be sequenced and compared with the other virulent genes in the literature through blast and the origin of the gene should be confirmed through blast search. Hence the DNA which is responsible for pathogenicity can be deduced for its last common ancestor.

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