Question

Give a brief account of the tools of recombinant DNA technology.

Answer 1

Hint:-Recombinant DNA is a piece of DNA created by joining together at least two strands. THe combination of the DNA molecules takes place on the basis of the factor that all organisms share the common chemical structure with difference in their nucleotide sequence. The process of combining the DNA from two sources and inserting it into a host is known as recombinant DNA technology.

Complete step-by-step solution:-
The joining of DNA molecules from two distinct species and it is inserted into a host organism in order to give rise to new genetic combinations or recombinants are referred to as recombinant DNA technology. The DNA produced by a combination of DNA obtained from different sources is known as recombinant DNA or rDNA. In this process, a set of experimental procedures are used to assemble recombinant DNA molecules and they are directed into the host organism to direct their replication.
The process of recombinant DNA or rDNA requires some kind of tools, which are restriction enzymes, vectors and suitable host organisms.
The restriction enzymes belong to the class of enzymes known as the nucleases. The enzymes cut DNA at specific sites. They are of two types which are exonucleases and endonucleases. The exonucleases remove nucleotides from both the ends of the DNA while the endonucleases make specific cuts within the DNA. The restriction enzymes work by recognizing a site-specific base sequence of DNA known as the restriction sites and cleaves the DNA. The commonly used enzymes are Eco RI, Hind II.
Vectors are also known as delivery systems that are used to carry the recombinant DNA into a suitable host. A vector is a DNA molecule that has the ability to replicate inside the host cells and into which the DNA fragment is cloned and inserted for cloning. The vectors must possess some specific characteristics such as origin of replication, selectable marker and several sites for a large number of restriction enzymes. The most commonly used vectors are plasmid vectors, phage vectors, shuttle vectors and cosmids. The common vectors used are vectors belonging to the pUC family, lambda phage vectors and yeast episomal plasmid Yep.
The host serves as the cell which is used for the propagation of DNA molecules. E. coli, yeast and plant and animal cells are suitable hosts used for replication of the recombinant DNA. The most important property of the host should be that it can accept a variety of vectors and is easy to handle to grow proficiently.

Note:- Recombinant DNA technology is an important technique employed in various fields such as medicine, agriculture, biomedicines, antibody techniques. It is widely used as reagents in experiments and research involving the recombinant DNA. The process is completed step wise to get recombinant cells. The important tools of this technique involve restriction enzymes, vectors and suitable hosts.