Conjugation in Mycobacteria smegmatis, like conjugation in E. coli, requires stable and extended contact between a donor and a recipient strain, is DNase resistant, and the transferred DNA is incorporated into the recipient chromosome by homologous recombination. However, unlike E. coli Hfr conjugation, mycobacterial conjugation is chromosome rather than plasmid based. Furthermore, in contrast to E. coli Hfr conjugation, in M. smegmatis all regions of the chromosome are transferred with comparable efficiencies.
Mycobacteria smegmatis conjugation, like that in E. coli, necessitates stable and prolonged contact between donor and recipient strains, is DNase resistant, and transfers DNA via homologous recombination into the recipient's chromosome. However, unlike E. coli Hfr conjugation, mycobacterial conjugation involves chromosomal transfer rather than plasmid transfer, and all regions of the chromosome are transferred with comparable efficiencies.