Cloning Polymerase Chain Reaction Products: Addition of Restriction Sites to the Termini of Amplified DNA

To generate polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products that can be directionally cloned into a vector, different restriction sites are built into the forward and reverse primers that are used in the PCR. After PCR, the amplified product is purified, cleaved with the appropriate restriction enzymes, ligated into a vector with compatible cohesive ends, and used to transform E. coli.