Question

What antibiotic-resistant genes are in pBR322?

Answer 1

pBR322:

1. A vector is a DNA molecule that is used as a vehicle to carry a particular DNA segment into a host cell as part of a cloning or recombinant DNA technique.
2. pBR322 is a plasmid vector in which p stands for plasmid and BR stands for Bolivar and Rodriguez, the scientists who constructed it.
3. The plasmid pBR322 vector carries the genes for tetracycline (tet^R) and ampicillin (amp^R) resistance.
4. Ampicillin (amp^R) resistance genes are PstI and PvuI.
5. Tetracycline (tet^R) resistance genes are BamHI and SalI.
6. These genes are useful to identify and select the transformants and non-transformants.
7. Transformants are selected from non-transformants by the presence of a selectable marker, e.g. transformants can be selected by plating them on the antibiotic-containing medium, for the antibiotic resistance gene present in the plasmid.