title: Microbial systems and directed evolution of protein activities.
abstract: Recent advances in recombinant DNA methodology have had an important impact on the capacity to manipulate protein-coding sequences. The appearance of new, powerful screening systems completes a scenario for conducting directed evolution experiments. We review here some of the latest developments in experimental approaches to directed evolution, utilizing microbial systems. These include phage display, surface display, operator-repressor systems, and novel mutagenesis approaches. We also highlight the achievements and limitations of current methodologies. We present strategies used by our own group that permitted isolation of specificity mutants of beta-lactamase. Possible improvements for the future of the variation-selection approach to the study and manipulation of proteins are presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Instituto de Biotecnología-UNAM.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Osuna
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Flores
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Soberón
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics; D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000235:genetics; D004274:DNA, Recombinant / Q000235:genetics; D005809:Genes, Regulator; D008958:Models, Molecular; D016296:Mutagenesis; D009875:Operator Regions, Genetic; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D011506:Proteins; D001618:beta-Lactamases