1. Typical [restriction based] sub-cloning 2. Go through (TOPO)-TA cloning 3. Gateway cloning 4. LIC, Ligation independent cloning 5. SLIC, Sequence and Ligation independent Cloning.
At the risk of being repetitive (since I posted it in a previous "cloning" thread), there is another very attractive alternative:
6. "QuickChange cloning". Plasmid-, sequence- and restriction enzyme-independent, only requires common PCR reagents. Clearly, it was developed independently in several labs.
Basically, your PCR primers contain sequences that anneal to the plasmid. Then all you do is set up QuickChange but use PCR fragment in place of mutagenic primers.
Refs: Chen et al., 2001, Biotechniques, 28: 498-505; Miazaki and Takenouchi, 2002, Biotechniques, 33:1033-1038; van den Ent and Lowe, 2006, J Biochem Biophys Methods, 67:67-74.
We now do cloning this way. We use "PfuFusion Ultra II" polymerase because it's so much better enzyme than anything else (better than "Phusion"). On couple occasions and with a little more work, I was even able to get from receiving primers on day1 to running a gel for expression/solubility test on day3.
Dima
