Select for recombinant DNA. The Pst I and Pvu I cleavage sites in the ampicillin gene, or the Cla I, Hind III, BamH I, and Sal I sites in the tetracycline gene allow the insertion of foreign DNA fragments, and inactivation of one of these genes. pBR322 DNA has been used in to study artificial metallonuclease activity.
Plasmid pBR322 was one of the first multipurpose cloning vectors constructed for use in Escherichia coli. This plasmid and derivatives have been used for a number of purposes including cloning, selection and expression of recombinant molecules, construction of shuttle vectors and vectors for nucleotide sequencing, studies of elements involved in gene expression, as plasmid DNA standards, and as a model system for studies on prokaryotic plasmid replication.
Plasmid pBR322 was one of the first multipurpose cloning vectors constructed for use in E. coli. This plasmid is derived from the ColE1-type plasmid pMB1 and shares the same type of replication mechanism and controls as ColE1 and relatives. Plasmid pBR322 confers resistance to ampicillin and tetracycline. The plasmid sequence has been published.
The plasmid has unique restriction sites within the gene for ampicillin resistance (Pst I, Pvu I, and Sca I), within the gene for tetracycline resistance (BamH I, BspM I, EcoR V, Nhe I, Nru I, Sal I, Sph I, and Xma III), and elsewhere (Aat II, Ava I, Bal I, Bsm I, BspM II, Cla I, EcoR I, Hind III, Nde I, Pvu II, Ssp I, Sty I, and Tth111 I).
