Cloning Vectors and Molecular Biology

These flashcards cover key concepts related to cloning vectors and molecular biology as presented in the lecture notes.

What is recombinant DNA technology?

It involves in vitro techniques for isolation, manipulation, recombination & expression of DNA and proteins.

What are cloning vectors?

Cloning vectors are DNA molecules that can carry other DNA sequences and replicate in host organisms.

What are the main types of cloning vectors?

The main types are plasmids, bacteriophages, viruses, cosmids, phagemids, BAC, and YAC.

What is a plasmid?

A plasmid is a small, circular DNA molecule that can replicate independently of chromosomal DNA in bacteria.

What is the function of a selectable marker in plasmids?

A selectable marker allows for the identification and selection of cells that contain the plasmid.

What is an origin of replication?

The origin of replication (ori) is a sequence that enables a plasmid to replicate independently in a host cell.

What is the purpose of having a multiple cloning site (MCS) in a plasmid?

The MCS provides unique restriction sites for the insertion of a target gene.

What are the two main methods to introduce plasmids into E. coli?

Conjugation and transformation are the main methods used to introduce plasmids into E. coli.

What is the role of the tra genes in conjugative plasmids?

Tra genes are essential for the transfer of plasmids between bacterial cells.

What makes E. coli a common host for cloning procedures?

E. coli is a model organism with well-characterized genetics and a range of strains optimized for various cloning techniques.