Friday, February 20, 2009
PCR cloning is a method of cloning which dramatically reduces the time and effort put into the cloning reaction. A conventional cloning procedure can take all day to complete, whereas a commercial PCR cloning kit can cut that time down to half an hour or less. This is accomplished by the use of linearized cloning vectors that make use of Adenine overhangs left by non-proofreading DNA polymerase. This means that the PCR product can be put directly into the ligation reaction, without the need for purification. A typical kit includes the linearized vector with an array of restriction sites, tet and/or amp resistance, and blue-white screening in the presence of X-gal. In addition, a number of manufacturers offer specialized kits for particular applications, such as degraded DNA, fragments, or very long DNA inserts. The companies below offer PCR cloning solutions for just about any need.