Help:Plasmid backbones/Nomenclature

Plasmids in the Registry of Standard Biological parts adhere to a particular naming convention. This page describes the details of this naming scheme.

If you are interested in designing and/or constructing a new BioBricks compatible Plasmids and are submitting it to the Registry, please follow this naming convention. Questions or comments can be directed to Reshma Shetty.

pSBxyz-a

pSB = plasmid Synthetic Biology
x = origin of replication
y = selection marker
z = version number
-a = insert

Origin of replication

1= pUC19-derived pMB1 (in pSB series)
2 = pSCANS-derived
3 = p15A pMR101-derived
4 = rep101, repA pSC101-derived
5 = F plasmid
6 = pBR322

Selection marker

X = none
A = ampicillin
C = chloramphenicol
E = erythromycin
G = gentamycin
K = kanamycin
N = neomycin
Na = nalidixic acid
R = rifampicin
S = spectinomycin
St = streptomycin
T = tetracycline
Tm = trimethoprim
Z = zeocin
AK = kanamycin and ampicillin
KT = kanamycin and tetracycline
AKT = ampicillin and kanamycin and tetracycline
AC = ampicillin and chloramphenicol

… etc

Version number

(used to indicate miscellaneous interesting changes to backbone)

0 = nothing
1 = complete Biobricks insertion site
2 = 5’ terminator and complete Biobricks insertion site
3 = 5’ terminator and complete Biobricks insertion site and 3’ terminator
4 = misc restriction sites removed for the T7 project
5 = Held for next generation of cloning plasmid. See [http://openwetware.org/wiki/Synthetic_Biology:Vectors/Parts].
10 = Held for a version of Jason's measurement plasmid
11 = Held for a version of Jason's measurement plasmid
12 = Held for a version of Jason's measurement plasmid

Insert

generally a BioBricks part number where multiple parts are separated by periods
no dash = no insert
-P1010 = ccd operon insert
- -1 = ccdB <-- this has now become legacy nomenclature.

Contact

Questions or comments can be directed to Reshma Shetty.