Many Infectious Bacteria Have Regions of DNA Coding for Virulence

Question

Many infectious bacteria have regions of DNA coding for virulence factors. These regions are called
A) transposases.
B) pathogenicity islands.
C) inverted repeats.
D) F plasmids.
E) genome reductions.

Accepted Answer

Pathogenicity islands are regions of bacterial DNA that code for virulence factors, which enhance the pathogenicity of the bacteria. These regions are often acquired through horizontal gene transfer and are typically located on mobile genetic elements, such as plasmids or bacteriophages.