What is "cosmid"

n. (context genetics English) A type of plasmid (often used as a cloning vector) constructed by the insertion of ''cos'' sequences, which are DNA sequences of the lambda phage.

A cosmid is a type of hybrid plasmid that contains a Lambda phage cos sequence. Cosmids' (cos sites + plasmid = cosmids) DNA sequences are originally from the lambda phage. They are often used as a cloning vector in genetic engineering. Cosmids can be used to build genomic libraries. They were first described by Collins and Hohn in 1978.

Cosmids can contain 37 to 52 (normally 45) kb of DNA, limits based on the normal bacteriophage packaging size. They can replicate as plasmids if they have a suitable origin of replication: for example SV40 ori in mammalian cells, ColE1 ori for double-stranded DNA replication or f1 ori for single-stranded DNA replication in prokaryotes. They frequently also contain a gene for selection such as antibiotic resistance, so that the transformed cells can be identified by plating on a medium containing the antibiotic. Those cells which did not take up the cosmid would be unable to grow.

Unlike plasmids, they can also be packaged in phage capsids, which allows the foreign genes to be transferred into or between cells by transduction. Plasmids become unstable after a certain amount of DNA has been inserted into them, because their increased size is more conducive to recombination. To circumvent this, phage transduction is used instead. This is made possible by the cohesive ends, also known as cos sites. In this way, they are similar to using the lambda phage as a vector, except all the lambda genes have been deleted with the exception of the cos sequence.