In Cohen and Boyer's pioneering studies in recombinant DNA, what was the role of antibiotic resistance genes?
A) They were selective markers.
B) They were vectors.
C) They were replicons.
D) They were transgenic agents.
E) They made the host cells more likely to take up the foreign DNA.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The antibiotic resistance genes served as selective markers to identify cells that had successfully taken up the foreign DNA. The host cells that did not contain the antibiotic resistance gene would die when the antibiotic was added to the medium, which allowed for selection of cells that had taken up the foreign DNA.

In Cohen and Boyer's Pioneering Studies in Recombinant DNA, What