The appropriate restriction enzyme to cleave the plasmid would be EcoRI. This is because the gene of interest can be inserted between the EcoRI restriction sites without disrupting any important elements of the plasmid, such as the origin of replication or any crucial genes necessary for its function. Additionally, the use of EcoRI would create complementary single-stranded ends (sticky ends) on both the plasmid and gene, allowing for easy and efficient ligation to occur. The neon green lines in the diagram indicate the presence of EcoRI restriction sites.
