Final answer:
Mammalian expression vectors can be used in E. coli for plasmid production, but might not be ideal for protein expression due to differences in regulatory sequences. E. coli is typically used for cloning and DNA amplification with specialized plasmids or phages. For proteins requiring eukaryotic modifications, E. coli is used for plasmid amplification but expression is done in a eukaryotic host.
Step-by-step explanation:
Can a mammalian expression vector be used in E. coli to produce a plasmid? While mammalian expression vectors are designed specifically for mammalian cells to ensure proper protein processing and folding, E. coli can indeed be used in the plasmid production process. E. coli is frequently used as a host for cloning and amplification of plasmid DNA because of its well-characterized genetics and its ability to grow rapidly and in inexpensive media. However, using a mammalian vector in E. coli may be less efficient due to possible incompatibilities in the promoter regions and other regulatory sequences necessary for gene expression in mammalian systems.
For the construction of genomic libraries or expression of recombinant DNA, modified plasmids or bacteriophages such as lambda or M13 can be used. These are more suitable for E. coli because they have been engineered to replicate within bacterial systems. When such vectors are introduced into E. coli, the bacteria can reproduce the plasmid or phage DNA, enabling the easy isolation and purification of the plasmid DNA containing the gene of interest using kits like the Plasmid Midi Kit from Qiagen.
For protein production, if the desired protein requires post-translational modifications specific to eukaryotes, the gene of interest may be cloned into E. coli for plasmid amplification, but the actual protein expression is more suited to a mammalian system or other eukaryotic host like yeast. Plasmid DNA extracted from E. coli can be then introduced into mammalian cells for proper eukaryotic expression of the protein.