Generation of DNA Circles in Yeast by Inducible Site-Specific Recombination

Site-specific recombinases have been harnessed for a variety of genetic manipulations involving the gain, loss, or rearrangement of genomic DNA in a variety of organisms. The enzymes have been further exploited in the model eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae for mechanistic studies involving chromosomal context. In these cases, a chromosomal element of interest is converted into a DNA circle within living cells, thereby uncoupling the element from neighboring regulatory sequences, obligatory chromosomal events, and other context-dependent effects that could alter or mask intrinsic functions of the element. In this chapter, I discuss general considerations in using site-specific recombination to create DNA circles in yeast and the specific application of the R recombinase.