Supercoiled plasmid

The predominant in vivo form of plasmid, in which the plasmid is coiled around histone-like proteins. Supporting proteins are stripped away during extraction from the bacterial cell, causing the plasmid molecule to supercoil around itself in vitro. (See Plasmid.)

The predominant in vivo form of most plasmids, in which the DNA is coiled around histone -like protein s. When supporting proteins are stripped away during DNA extraction from the bacterial cell, the plasmid molecule also tends to supercoil around itself in vitro.