the stretch of DNA specifying the amino acid sequence of a polypeptide, as distinct from the interspersed and associated DNA, some of which is concerned with control of gene synthesis
a gene containing coded information for the synthesis of specific proteins with a particular structural or enzymatic function, as opposed to a regulatory function
The function and relative position of the following should be known: (i) structural genes; (ii) marker genes for selection (antibiotic resistance, heavy metal resistance, phage immunity, genes coding for degradation of xenobiotics, etc.); (iii) regulatory elements; (iv) target sites (nic-sites, restriction endonuclease sites, linkers, etc.); (v) transposable elements (including provirus sequences); (vi) genes related to transfer and mobilization function (e.g. with respect to conjugation, transduction or chromosomal integration); (vii) replicon(s).
