An F⁺ microbial strain would best be described as:

A)any bacterium that readily takes up naked DNA through its membrane.
B)incapable of conjugation due to inhibitory genes on the F plasmid.
C)a bacterial strain with specific auxotrophic characteristics.
D)a bacterial strain that carries a phage with membrane fusion competency.
E)a bacterium with a plasmid that confers mating competency (or fertility).