Structure of recombinant plasmids containing synthetic human foetal globin gene sequences

In vitro synthesized duplex DNA complementary to human foetal globin messenger RNA was integrated into bacterial plasmids and amplified by transformation of Escherichia coli. Recombinants carrying globin DNA were identified by hybridization of foetal globin messenger RNA to bacterial DNA in situ and by liquid hybridization of purified plasmids to specific globin complementary DNA probes. Heteroduplex mapping revealed either a simple insertion loop at the position of the EcoRI site of the parental plasmid DNA. We provide evidence to suggest that these deletions are the result of a site-specific nicking activity of the EcoRI preparations used in the formation of recombinant plasmids.