pUC118 is a small, high copy cloning vector for replication in
E. coli. It has been constructed using the ampicillin resistance gene and the pMB1 origin of replication from
pBR322. The pMB1 of pUC118 differs from the pBR322 origin by a single point mutation and the lack of the
rop gene, leading to a high copy number. pUC118 has a multiple cloning site within the lacZ alpha-fragment. Inserts cloned into this site disrupt beta -galactosidase activity and give rise to white colonies on X-Gal/IPTG plates. Foreign DNA inserted in-frame with the lac Z gene will be expressed as a fusion protein (containing a portion of the beta-galactosidase) under control of the lac promoter. The promoter is inducible with IPTG and followed by an initiation codon as well as a ribosome binding site. pUC118 contains an additional M13 phage origin for single strand production.