BRAINCAKEIdentifying Transformed Organisms
When bacteria are mixed with recombinant plasmids, only a small proportion (often around 1%) take up the plasmid. Some plasmids also close up again without the gene. So it is essential to identify the bacteria that have been transformed with the recombinant plasmid.
Marker genes
A marker gene on the plasmid shows whether a cell has taken it up. Common markers are:
• antibiotic resistance genes: only bacteria containing the plasmid can grow on agar containing the antibiotic
• genes for fluorescent proteins such as GFP, which make transformed cells glow under ultraviolet light
• genes for enzymes that produce a colour change with a substrate in the agar.
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Key terms in this lesson
- gfp
- Green fluorescent protein, a marker protein that makes transformed cells glow under ultraviolet light.
More in Gene Technology
- Producing Recombinant DNA
- Vectors
- Gene Guns
- Liposome Wrapping
- Microinjection
- Gene Silencing
- Transgenic Plants
- Cloning Plants
All 17 lessons in Gene Technology · All Edexcel A-level Biology topics