Patent ID: 6387702
Filing Date: 2002-05-14
Classification: C12N

Abstract:
A method of enhancing competence of a non-mammalian cell, comprising:(1) recombining at least first and second DNA segments from at least one gene conferring DNA competence, the segments differing from each other in at least two nucleotides, to produce a library of recombinant genes; (2) screening the library of recombinant genes for at least one recombinant gene that confers enhanced competence in the non-mammalian cell relative to a wild-type form of the gene; (3) recombining at least a segment from the at least one recombinant gene with a further DNA segment from the at least one gene, the same or different from the first and second segments, to produce a further library of recombinant genes; (4) screening the further library of recombinant genes for at least one further recombinant gene that confers enhanced competence in the non-mammalian cell relative to the at least one recombinant gene; (5) repeating (3) and (4), as necessary, until the at least one further recombinant gene confers a desired level of enhanced competence in the non-mammalian cell; and (6) introducing the at least one further recombinant gene to the non-mammalian cell, thereby conferring enhanced competence.