Procedures for cDNA cloning

Abstract The first mammalian cDNA was cloned almost two decades ago (1) and the construction and screening of cDNA libraries has since become one of the fundamental procedures of molecular biology. A considerable number of advances have been made during the past 20 years, including the availability of highly purified, cloned, and modified enzymes which has improved the efficiency of cDNA synthesis and cloning. The development of high efficiency cloning systems has allowed the construction of a representative cDNA library to become a straightforward procedure which can be successfully carried out in any molecular biology laboratory. More recently, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has revolutionized cDNA cloning and in some circumstances it will not be necessary to construct a library for the isolation of a particular cDNA clone.