DNA Library: DNA library is a collection of DNA fragments of one organism, each carried by a plasmid or virus and cloned in an appropriate host. A DNA probe is used to locate a specific DNA sequence in the library. A collection representing the entire genome is called a genomic (DNA) library. An assortment of DNA copies of messenger RNA produced by a cell is known as a complimentary DNA (cDNA) library.
Construction of Genomic Library: The process of subdividing genomic DNA into clonable elements and inserting them into host cells is called creating a library.
A complete library, by definition, contains the entire genomic DNA of the source organism and is called as genomic library. A genomic library is a set of cloned fragments of genomic DNA. The process of creating a genomic library includes four steps :
In the first step the high molecular weight genomic DNA is separated and subjected to restriction enzyme digestion by using two compatible restriction enzymes. In the second step, the fragments are then fractionated or separated by using agarose gel electrophoresis to obtain fragments of required size.
These fragments are then subjected to alkaline phosphatase treatment to remove the phosphate. In the third step, the dephosphorylated insert is ligated into vector which could be a plasmid, phage or cosmid, depending upon the interest of the researcher.
In the last step, the recombinant vector is introduced into the host by electroporation and amplified in host. In principle, all the DNA from the source organism is inserted into the host, but this is not fully possible as some DNA sequences escape the cloning procedure. Genomic library is a source of genes and DNA sequences. A genomic library is a set of cloned fragments of genomic DNA. Prior information about the genome is not required for library construction for most organisms. In principle, the genomic DNA, after the isolation, is subjected to RE enzyme for digestion to generate inserts.