plasmid
(rus. плазмида otherwise внехромосомный генетический элемент)
—
a small circular DNA molecule capable of replicating independently of the genome.
Description
Plasmids are usually found in the cells of bacteria and yeast. A typical plasmid is a double-stranded circular DNA molecule of 1–2 · 105 base pairs. Modified plasmids are widely used in genetic engineering as vectors for DNA cloning and in gene therapy for gene delivery into the cells.
Authors
- Ilya N. Kurochkin
- Vladimir P. Shirinsky
Sources
- Alberts B., Johnson A., Lewis J. et al. Molecular Biology of the Cell. 4th ed. — N.Y.: Garland Publishing, 2002. — 265 pp.
- B. Glick, J. Pasternak. Molecular Biotechnology: Principles and Applications of Recombinant DNA. — 3rd ed. Sigma Publishing, 2003, 784 pp.