Phage-mediated movement of bacterial DNA between bacteria.
Typically transduction is differentiated into generalized versus specialized forms, which differ in their mechanisms of bacterial DNA acquisition (complete versus partial replacement of capsid-packaged phage DNA, respectively).
Note all phages are able to transduce bacterial DNA. Non-temperate phages, for example, do not display specialized transduction (at least that associated with bacterial DNA acquisition during prophage excision). Highly virulent non-temperate phages also do not display generalized transduction, in this case due to their tendency to destroy the genome of their bacterial hosts early in the course of infection (e.g., phage T4).
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