A strain of Neisseria gonorrhoeae that was formerly sensitive to penicillin has recently acquired the ability to produce penicillinase, an enzyme that inactivates penicillin. Evidence indicates that this is not a new mutation but rather a gene received from another bacterium. The gene is now spreading rapidly among the population, causing the recipient bacteria to be resistant to penicillin. Place the following steps in the order in which they most likely occurred to result in the production of penicillinase.
a. Transformation introduced the penicillinase gene to this strain of Neisseria gonorrhoeae
b. The penicillinase gene was replicated along with all of the other DNA prior to cell division, resulting in vertical transmission of the gene to daughter cells.
c. Recombination occurred, placing the penicillinase gene in the Neisseria gonorrhoeae genome.
d. The penicillinase nRNA was translated into the protein penicillinase.
e. The penicillinase gene was transcribed into mRNA.