artificial chromosome
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Related to Artificial chromosomes: Yeast artificial chromosome, expression vector
artificial chromosome
n.
A large sequence of DNA, such as a human artificial chromosome or a bacterial artificial chromosome, that is constructed in a laboratory to function like a chromosome or inserted into a cell to be replicated and expressed. Artificial chromosomes have been used in gene mapping and in modeling genetic diseases.
The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2007, 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
artificial chromosome
The result of a biotechnology still at an experimental stage. Human chromosomes, consisting of a centromere of highly repetitive DNA sequences, telomeric DNA, a marker gene and some random sequences of genomic DNA, have been successfully prepared. When these ingredients were introduced into a human cell line they became coated with histone proteins and formed highly coiled structures. They also replicated and passed on copies to daughter cells through more than 200 cell divisions.Collins Dictionary of Medicine © Robert M. Youngson 2004, 2005