For constructing a physical contig spanning very large genomic regions, a yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) vector is preferred over a standard plasmid because a YAC can accommodate:

• A Inserts of several hundred kilobases to over a megabase ✓
• B Inserts up to about 5 kilobases
• C Only cDNA derived from mRNA
• D Only circular double-stranded DNA molecules

Explanation

YACs are linear artificial chromosomes built around yeast centromeric, telomeric and autonomously replicating sequence elements. Because they mimic natural chromosomes, they stably carry inserts ranging from a few hundred kilobases to more than a megabase, far exceeding the roughly 5 to 10 kilobase capacity of plasmids and the 100 to 300 kilobase range of bacterial artificial chromosomes. YACs accept linear genomic DNA, not just cDNA, and they are themselves linear molecules.

Reference: Harper's Illustrated Biochemistry, 32nd ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.