pCAMBIA Legacy Vectors

Overview

Plant transformation is now routine in hundreds of laboratories worldwide, using bacterially-mediated or direct DNA transfer methods such as bombardment. These methods have both technical and intellectual property limitations (see the TransBacter Project, in which we're improving the alternative to Agrobacterium transformation for more complete freedom to operate). One of the biggest technical limitations laboratories face is that many vectors still used are historical relics with substandard features that make DNA constructions awkward or cumbersome:

• low-copy origin of replication resulting in low yield DNA preps;
• unstable replicons, causing variable loss of the plasmid during propagation;
• large size;
• lack of convenient restriction sites for manipulation;
• limited choice of selectable markers for both bacteria and plants;
• lack of simple ways to construct reporter gene fusions;

The pCAMBIA vector backbone is derived from the pPZP vectors (constructed by Hajdukiewicz, Svab & Maliga, see References). While not perfect and having technical and IP limitations (see the GUSPlus Project, in which we're improving reporter genes and selection methods for more complete freedom to operate), pCAMBIA vectors offer:

• high copy number in E.coli for high DNA yields
• pVS1 replicon for high stability in Agrobacterium
• small size, 7-12kb depending on which plasmid
• restriction sites designed for modular plasmid modifications and small but adequate poly-linkers for introducing your DNA of interest
• bacterial selection with chloramphenicol or kanamycin
• plant selection with hygromycin B or kanamycin (phosphinothricin selection was discontinued at the request of the IP owner, Bayer, after the initial distribution in 1997)
• simple means to construct translational fusions to gusA reporter genes.

Information on our other vectors, which contain GUSPlus™, may be found in the GUSPlus project . You can request these vectors separately (they are available under the open source terms of a BiOS license) or simultaneously when registering for the TransBacter Project, in which we're improving the alternative to Agrobacterium transformation for more complete freedom to operate and freedom to cooperate.

Our Legacy pCAMBIA vectors, will soon be available under a new MTA with similar conditions to facilitate cooperative development.

The complete kit of 26 legacy CAMBIA vectors includes:

pCAMBIA0380, pCAMBIA0390, pCAMBIA1200, pCAMBIA1201, pCAMBIA1281Z, pCAMBIA1291Z, pCAMBIA1300, pCAMBIA1301, pCAMBIA1302, pCAMBIA1303, pCAMBIA1304, pCAMBIA1380, pCAMBIA1381Xa, pCAMBIA1381Xb, pCAMBIA1381Xc, pCAMBIA1381Z, pCAMBIA1390, pCAMBIA1391, pCAMBIA1391Xa, pCAMBIA1391Xb, pCAMBIA1391Xc, pCAMBIA1391Z, pCAMBIA2200, pCAMBIA2201, pCAMBIA2300, and pCAMBIA2301

Ordering Legacy pCAMBIA

Please visit the CAMBIA materials website to download the request form for the use of pCAMBIA Legacy vectors. For non-profit and research organisations the complete kit of pCAMBIA Legacy vectors costs US$250; individual vectors cost US$150.00 for the first vector and US$75.00 for each additional vector (+ shipping). If you wish to execute a license for the use of materials, please contact us at licenses@cambia.org.

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