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Reference.org
Multiple cloning site
open-in-new
<p>A multiple cloning site (MCS), also called a polylinker, is a short segment of <a href="/facts/DNA/nB89Iauz">DNA</a> which contains many (up to ~20) <a href="/facts/Restriction_sites/KaQGCu6D">restriction sites</a>—a standard feature of engineered <a href="/facts/Plasmids/yf59JVlA">plasmids</a>. Restriction sites within an MCS are typically unique, occurring only once within a given plasmid. The purpose of an MCS in a plasmid is to allow a piece of DNA to be inserted into that region. </p><p>An MCS is found in a variety of vectors, including <a href="/facts/Cloning_vector/s4peCwGf">cloning vectors</a> to increase the number of copies of target DNA, and in <a href="/facts/Expression_vector/yqjSkTgE">expression vectors</a> to create a protein product. In expression vectors, the MCS is located downstream of the <a href="/facts/Promoter_(genetics)/YDYBzLfg">promoter</a>. </p>