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A cloning vector is a DNA segment that can be used to introduce foreign DNA into cells. It must have an insertion site, a DNA sequence for propagation, and a marker for identification. Cloning vectors are used in research and genetic engineering and can be created synthetically or taken from organisms. Working with cloning vectors requires specialized equipment and knowledge.
A cloning vector is a segment of DNA that can be used as a vector for foreign DNA, so that foreign DNA can be introduced into cells. Once the cloning vector is added to a cell, the foreign DNA can begin replicating, producing numerous copies of the foreign DNA that can be used for a variety of purposes. Several labs commercially sell generic cloning vectors that can be used in research, and people can also create their own for specific projects.
Different organisms can be used as sources for cloning vectors. Some are created synthetically, such as yeast artificial chromosomes and bacterial artificial chromosomes, while others are taken from bacteria and bacteriophages. In all cases, the vector must be genetically modified to accommodate the foreign DNA by creating an insertion site into which the new DNA will fit.
A cloning vector must have an insertion site that can ideally accommodate many different strands of foreign DNA, allowing researchers to use the vector for different projects. It also needs a DNA sequence that will allow it to propagate once it is inserted into the target cell, and it needs a marker that researchers can use to find the foreign DNA once the cloning vector begins to propagate. Antibiotic resistance is classically chosen as a marker so that cells can be introduced to an antibiotic that will kill the cells without the foreign DNA, leaving the clones behind.
Cloning vectors can be used in many fields of scientific research. They can be used to duplicate a strand of DNA for research and further investigation, such as when people test DNA in a forensic laboratory or when people look for faulty genes that could be responsible for genetic conditions. Cloning vectors are also used in genetic engineering, as they allow people to manipulate DNA and make numerous copies of the altered DNA.
Working with cloning vectors requires a laboratory with equipment that allows people to manipulate DNA. Using a stock cloning vector from a laboratory can reduce the amount of time needed to develop a vector, but researchers still need to be able to select the foreign DNA strand they wish to insert and integrate it into the cloning vector with l assistance of restriction enzymes that separate the DNA strands in the vector to allow for the insertion or “ligation” of new DNA.
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