INSTITUTE-UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF
ENGINEERING
ACADEMIC UNIT-II
Computer Science Engineering
Subject Name-Biology For Engineers
Subject Code- 20SZT148
VECTORS DISCOVER . LEARN . EMPOWER
By Ms. Harsha Sharma
VECTORS
•By cloning, one can produce unlimited
amounts of any particular fragment of
DNA.
• In principle, the DNA isolated and cut
pieces are introduced into a suitable host
cell, usually a bacterium such as
Escherichia coli, where it is replicated, https://pediaa.com/difference-between-plasmid-and-co
smid/
as the cell grows and divides.
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VECTORS
• Vectors are those DNA molecules that can carry a foreign DNA fragment when
inserted into it.
• A vector must possess certain minimum qualifications to be an efficient agent for
the transfer, maintenance and amplification of the passenger DNA.
1. The vector should be small and easy to isolate.
2. They must have one or more origins of replication so that they will stably main
tain themselves within host cell.
3. Vector should have one or more unique restriction sites into which the recombi
nant DNA can be inserted.
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TYPES OF VECTORS
4. They should have a selectable marker (antibiotic resistance gene) which allows
recognition of transformants.
5. Vector DNA can be introduced into a cell.
6. The vector should not be toxic to host cell.
• Based on the nature and sources, the vectors are grouped into bacterial plasmids,
bacteriophages, cosmids and phagemids
(a) Plasmid:Plasmids are the extra-chromosomal, self-replicating, and double
stranded closed and circular DNA molecules present in the bacterial cell. A
number of properties are specified by plasmids such as antibiotic and heavy metal
resistance, nitrogen fixation, pollutant degradation, bacteriocin and toxin
production, colicin factors, etc.
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TYPES OF VECTORS
• Plasmids have following advantages as cloning vehicle (Cohen et a. 1973):
1. It can be readily isolated from the cells.
2. It possesses a single restriction site for one or more restriction enzymes.
3. Insertion of foreign DNA does not alter the replication properties.
4. It can be reintroduced into cell.
5. Selective marker is present.
6. Transformants can be selected easily by using selective medium.
7. Multiple copy numbers are present in a cell.
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TYPES OF VECTORS
• Some plasmid vectors are pBR 322, pBR 327, pUC vectors, yeast plasmid vector
and Ti, Ri plasmids. Ti and Ri Plasmids are widely used in plant system for
genetic transformation.
• Among higher plants, Ti plasmid of Agrobacterium tumefaciens or Ri plasmid of
A. rhizogenes are the best known vectors. T-DNA, from Ti or Ri plasmid of
Agrobacterium, is considered to be very potential for foreign gene transfer in
cloning experiments with higher plants.
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TYPES OF VECTORS
(b) Bacteriophage:
• The bacteriophage has linear DNA
molecule, a single break will generate
two fragments, foreign DNA can be
inserted to generate chimeric phage
particle.
• But as the capacity of phage head is
limited, some segments of phage
DNA, not having essential genes, may
be removed. This technique has been
followed in λ (Lambda) phage vectors
to clone large foreign particle.
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TYPES OF VECTORS
(c) Cosmid:
• Cosmids are plasmid particles, into which certain specific DNA sequences,
namely those for cos sites are inserted which enable the DNA to get packed in X
particle. Like plasmids, the cosmids perpetuate in bacteria without lytic develop
ment. The cosmids have high efficiency to produce a complete genomic library
• A cosmid is a type of hybrid plasmid that contains a Lambda phage cos
sequence. Cosmids (cos sites + plasmid = cosmids) DNA sequences are
originally from the lambda phage. They are often used as a cloning vector in
genetic engineering. Cosmids can be used to build genomic libraries.
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TYPES OF VECTORS
(e) Plant and Animal Viruses:
• A number of plant and animal viruses have also been used as vectors both for
introducing foreign genes into cells and for gene amplification. Cauliflower
Mosaic Viruses (CaMV), Tobacco Mosaic Viruses (TMV) and Gemini Virus are
three groups of viruses that have been used as vectors for cloning of DNA
segments in plant system. SV 40 (Simian Virus 40), human adenoviruses and
retroviruses are potential as vectors for gene transfer into animal cells.
(f) Artificial Chromosomes:
• Yeast Artificial Chromosome (YAC) or Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC)
vectors allow cloning of several hundred kb pairs which may represent the whole
chromosome. It can be cloned in yeast or bacteria by ligating them to vector
sequences that allow their propagation as linear artificial chromosome.
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BAC
•Bacterial artificial chromosomes
(BAC) were developed by Mel
Simmons and coworkers in the early
1990s and are based on the fertility
factor (F factor) of Escherichia coli. The
F plasmid, a ~ 100 kb circular double
stranded DNA, is present is an E. coli
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qqsw6ytGsyE
cell in only 1-2 copies.
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• The BACs carrying the gene of interest are then taken up by bacterial cells where
they are amplified with bacterial DNA.
• YACs are engineered DNA molecule that has been constructed for cloning in
yeast cells.
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REFERENCES
• C.B.Powar, 2010.Cell Biology.5th Ed,Himalyan Publishing House.
• Leshie Cromwell, Fred.J. Weibell and Erich.A.Pfeiffer. 2003. Biomedical
instrumentation and measurements. 2nd edition, PHI.
• John G. Webster 1998. Medical Instrumentation: Applications and Design, 3rd
edition, Jon Wiley and Sons, New York.
• Jeremy M. Berg, John L. Tymoczko and Lubert Stryer. 2006. “Biochemistry,” 6th
Ed. W.H. Freeman and Co. Ltd.
• Robert Weaver. 2012 “Molecular Biology,” 5th Edition, MCGraw-Hill.
• Jon Cooper, , 2004. “Biosensors A Practical Approach” Bellwether Books.
• Martin Alexander, 1994 “Biodegradation and Bioremediation,” Academic Press.
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THANK YOU
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