A
cDNA library is a combination of cloned cDNA (
complementary DNA) fragments inserted into a collection of host cells, which together constitute some portion of the
transcriptome of the organism. cDNA is produced from fully transcribed
mRNA found in the
nucleus and therefore contains only the expressed genes of an organism. Similarly, tissue-specific cDNA libraries can be produced. In
eukaryotic cells the mature mRNA is already
spliced, hence the cDNA produced lacks
introns and can be readily expressed in a bacterial cell. While information in cDNA libraries is a powerful and useful tool since gene products are easily identified, the libraries lack information about
enhancers,
introns, and other regulatory elements found in a
genomic DNA library.