Simple and efficient vectors for retrofitting BACs and PACs with mammalian neoR and EGFP marker genes.

Bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) and P1 artificial chromosomes (PACs) are widely used to investigate the functions of genes and genomes in mammalian cells in vitro and in vivo. We have developed a series of vectors which can simply and efficiently be retrofitted onto BACs or PACs. These vectors carry a neoR gene for selection in cells in tissue culture, including ES cells, and also an EGFP gene driven by the strong CAG promoter for quick detection of the DNA in cells. All the plasmids are retrofitted using the loxP site and Cre recombinase and some carry the gamma origin of plasmid R6K which does not function in commonly used bacteria such as DH10B. Retrofitting of PACs and BACs carrying alphoid DNA was very efficient with almost no rearrangement of the highly repetitive alphoid DNA. Following transfer into HT1080 cells and mouse oocytes in tissue culture the DNA could easily be monitored by the EGFP fluorescence.