A cDNA library represents a collection of only the genes that are encoded into proteins by an organism. Complementary DNA, or cDNA, is created through reverse transcription of messenger RNA, and a library of cDNAs is generated using DNA cloning technology.
cDNA Library Uses
cDNA libraries are commonly used when reproducing eukaryotic genomes, as the amount of information is reduced to remove the large numbers of non-coding regions from the library. cDNA libraries are used to express eukaryotic genes in prokaryotes. Prokaryotes do not have introns in their DNA and therefore do not possess any enzymes that can cut it out during transcription process. cDNA does not have introns and therefore can be expressed in prokaryotic cells. cDNA libraries are most useful in reverse genetics where the additional genomic information is of less use. Additionally, cDNA libraries are frequently used in functional cloning to identify genes based on the encoded protein’s function. When studying eukaryotic DNA, expression libraries are constructed using complementary DNA (cDNA) to help ensure the insert is truly a gene.