Use of firefly luciferase gene for plasmid copy number determination

Abstract

A simple and rapid method for determining plasmid copy number is described. The eukaryotic luc gene is used as a marker to tag plasmid derivatives of several well-known vectors, and by measuring light activity plasmid copy number is determined. A comparative analysis using a standard hybridization procedure to estimate plasmid copy number by densitometry is also described. © 1994 Academic Press, Inc.