What are the four steps in bacterial conjugation?

The process of bacterial conjugation can be divided into four key steps: (1) Contact Formation: The donor cell produces a pilus that attaches to the recipient cell. This pilus acts as a physical conduit for genetic transfer. (2) Formation of the Mating Pair: The pilus retracts, bringing the donor and recipient cells into close proximity and forming a stable connection for DNA transfer. (3) DNA Transfer: A single strand of the donor’s plasmid or chromosomal DNA is transferred to the recipient cell while simultaneously being replicated in the donor to maintain its genome. (4) Recipient Cell Conversion: The transferred DNA is replicated in the recipient cell, completing the double-stranded DNA structure. If the transferred DNA includes genes for conjugation, the recipient can become a donor cell.