<Li> Pilus attaches to recipient cell and brings the two cells together . </Li> <Li> The mobile plasmid is nicked and a single strand of DNA is then transferred to the recipient cell . </Li> <Li> Both cells synthesize a complementary strand to produce a double stranded circular plasmid and also reproduce pili; both cells are now viable donor for the F - factor . </Li> <P> The F - plasmid is an episome (a plasmid that can integrate itself into the bacterial chromosome by homologous recombination) with a length of about 100 kb . It carries its own origin of replication, the oriV, and an origin of transfer, or oriT . There can only be one copy of the F - plasmid in a given bacterium, either free or integrated, and bacteria that possess a copy are called F - positive or F - plus (denoted F). Cells that lack F plasmids are called F - negative or F - minus (F) and as such can function as recipient cells . </P>

Steps of hfr x f- bacterial conjugation