Patent ID: 6326174
Filing Date: 2001-12-04
Classification: C12N,C12Q

Abstract:
A method of selecting a catalytic DNA molecule that cleaves a substrate nucleic acid sequence at a specific site, comprising the following steps:a. obtaining a population of single-stranded DNA molecules;b. admixing nucleotide-containing substrate molecules with said population of single-stranded DNA molecules to form an admixture;c. maintaining said admixture for a sufficient period of time and under predetermined reaction conditions to allow single-stranded DNA molecules in said population to cause cleavage of said substrate sequences, thereby producing substrate cleavage products;d. separating said population of single-stranded DNA molecules from said substrate sequences and substrate cleavage products; ande. isolating single-stranded DNA molecules that cleave nucleotide-containing substrate at a specific site from said population.