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  • C07K14/435—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof from animals; from humans
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  • C12N15/09—Recombinant DNA-technology
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  • C12N9/00—Enzymes; Proenzymes; Compositions thereof; Processes for preparing, activating, inhibiting, separating or purifying enzymes
  • C12N9/14—Hydrolases (3)
  • C12N9/24—Hydrolases (3) acting on glycosyl compounds (3.2)
  • C12N9/2402—Hydrolases (3) acting on glycosyl compounds (3.2) hydrolysing O- and S- glycosyl compounds (3.2.1)
  • C12N9/2468—Hydrolases (3) acting on glycosyl compounds (3.2) hydrolysing O- and S- glycosyl compounds (3.2.1) acting on beta-galactose-glycoside bonds, e.g. carrageenases (3.2.1.83; 3.2.1.157); beta-agarase (3.2.1.81)
  • C12N9/2471—Beta-galactosidase (3.2.1.23), i.e. exo-(1-->4)-beta-D-galactanase
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  • C12Y302/01—Glycosidases, i.e. enzymes hydrolysing O- and S-glycosyl compounds (3.2.1)
  • C12Y302/01023—Beta-galactosidase (3.2.1.23), i.e. exo-(1-->4)-beta-D-galactanase
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
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  • C12N2730/00—Reverse transcribing DNA viruses
  • C12N2730/00011—Details
  • C12N2730/10011—Hepadnaviridae
  • C12N2730/10111—Orthohepadnavirus, e.g. hepatitis B virus
  • C12N2730/10122—New viral proteins or individual genes, new structural or functional aspects of known viral proteins or genes

Definitions

• the subject of the present invention is a process for obtaining DNA, RNA, peptides, polypeptides or proteins, using modified host cells containing genes capable of expressing these RNAs, peptides, polypeptides or proteins, that is to say i.e. using a recombinant DNA technique.
• the invention aims in particular to produce genes or fragments of stochastic genes, so as to allow the simultaneous obtaining, after transcription and translation of these genes, of a very large number (of the order of ten thousand at least) completely new or hybrid proteins of known proteins, in the presence of host cells (bacterial or eukaryotic strains) containing the respective genes capable of expressing these proteins and then of carrying out a selection or screening among said strains, with a view to determining those which produce proteins having desired properties, for example enzymatic, catalytic, antigenic, pharmacological, or ligand properties, and more generally, chemical, biochemical, biological, etc. properties .
• the invention also aims to allow the obtaining of DNA or RNA sequences having usable properties, in particular chemical, biochemical or biological properties.
• the process for producing peptides or polypeptides according to the invention is characterized in that one produces simultaneously, within the same medium, genes at least partially composed of synthetic stochastic polynucleotides, which are introduced genes thus obtained in host cells, which are simultaneously cultivated the independent strains of modified host cells containing these genes, so as to clone the stochastic genes and to provoke the production of the proteins expressed by each of these stochastic genes , that the screening and / or the selection of the modified host cell strains is carried out so as to identify the strains producing peptides or polypeptides having at least one given property, that the strains thus identified are isolated and that they are cultivated so as to produce at least one peptide or polypeptide having said property.
• the genes are produced by stochastic copolymerization of the four kinds of deoxyphosphonucleotides A, C, G and T from the two ends of an expression vector previously linearized, then formation of cohesive ends so as to form a first strand of stochastic DNA, consisting of a molecule of the expression vector having two stochastic sequences -whose 3 'ends are complementary, followed by the synthesis of the second strand this stochastic DNA.
• the genes are produced by stochastic copolymerization of oligonucleotides without cohesive ends, so as to form stochastic DNA fragments, followed by the ligation of these fragments to a previously linearized expression vector.
• the expression vector can be a plasmid, in particular a bacterial plasmid. Excellent results have been obtained using, as expression vector, the plasmid pUC8.
• the expression vector can also be viral DNA or a hybrid of plasmid and viral DNA.
• Host cells can be prokaryotic cells such as HB 101 and C 600 cells, or eukaryotic cells.
• oligonucleotides forming a group of palindromic octaerers can be used.
• oligonucleotides forming a group of palindromic heptamers It is also possible to use oligonucleotides forming a group of palindromic heptamers.
• the DNA transforming plasmids is isolated and purified from a culture of independent strains of modified host cells obtained by proceeding as specified above, then the '' the purified DNA is cut using at least one enzyme restriction corresponding to a specific site of enzymatic cleavage present in these palindromic octamers or heptamers but absent from the expression vector used, this cleavage being followed by the inactivation of the restriction enzyme, and the treatment is then simultaneously carried out set of linearized stochastic DNA fragments thus obtained with T4 DNA ligase, so as to create a new set of DNA containing new stochastic sequences, this new set therefore being able to contain a number of stochastic genes greater than the number of genes from the initial set, and we use this new set of transforming DNA to modify host cells and clone the genes, and ultimately screen and / or select and isolate the new host cell strains transformed and finally, they are cultivated so as to produce at least one peptide or polypeptid
• the property serving as a criterion for selecting host cell strains may be the ability of the peptides or poly ⁇ peptides produced by this strain to catalyze a given chemical reaction.
• said property may be the ability to catalyze a sequence of reactions leading from a given initial group of chemical compounds to at least one target compound.
• said property may be the ability to catalyze the synthesis of this set itself from amino acids and / or d oligopeptides, in an appropriate medium.
• Said property can also be the ability to selectively modify chemical and / or biological properties of a given compound, for example the ability to selectively modify the catalytic activity of a polypeptide.
• Said property can also be the ability to simulate, inhibit or modify at least one biological function of at least one biologically active compound, chosen, for example, from hormones, neurotransmitters, adhesion or growth factors and specific regulators of DNA replication and / or RNA transcription and / or translation.
• Said property may also be the ability of the peptide or polypeptide to bind to a given ligand.
• the invention also relates to the use of the peptide or polypeptide obtained by the method specified above for the detection and / or titration of a ligand.
• the criterion for selecting the modified host cell strain is the ability of the peptides or poly ⁇ peptides to simulate or modify the effects of a biologically active molecule, for example a protein, and the screening and / or selection of the modified host cell strain producing at least one peptide or polypeptide having this property is carried out by preparing antibodies against this active molecule, and using these antibodies, after their purification, to identify the strains containing this peptide or polypeptide, then by cultivating the strains thus identified and by separating and purifying the peptide or polypeptide produced by these strains, and, finally, by subjecting this peptide or polypeptide to a test in in vitro to verify that it clearly exhibits the ability to simulate or modify the effects of said molecule.
• a biologically active molecule for example a protein
• the property serving as a criterion for selection is to have at least one epitope similar to one of the epitopes of a given antigen.
• the invention also relates to the polypeptides obtained by the process specified above, and usable as a chemotherapeutic active substance.
• the invention makes it possible to obtain polypeptides which can be used for the chemotherapeutic treatment of epitheliomas.
• the strains of modified host cells producing the peptides or polypeptides having the desired property are identified and isolated by affinity chromatography on antibodies corresponding to a protein expressed by the natural part of DNA. hybrid.
• the natural part of the hybrid DNA contains a gene expressing ô-galactosidase
• the invention also relates to an application of the method specified above for the preparation of a vaccine, this application being characterized in that antibodies are isolated against a pathogenic agent, for example antibodies formed after injection of this pathogen in the organism of an animal capable of forming anti ⁇ bodies against this agent, and these antibodies are used to identify clones producing at least one protein having at least one epitope similar to one of the epitopes of the pathogen, cultivating the modified host cell strains corresponding to these clones, so as to produce this protein, we isolate and purify this protein from cultures of these cell strains, and use this protein for the production of a vaccine against the pathogen.
• a pathogenic agent for example antibodies formed after injection of this pathogen in the organism of an animal capable of forming anti ⁇ bodies against this agent
• these antibodies are used to identify clones producing at least one protein having at least one epitope similar to one of the epitopes of the pathogen, cultivating the modified host cell strains corresponding to these clones, so as to produce this protein, we isolate and purify this
• an anti-HVB vaccine it is possible to extract and purify at least one capsid protein of the HVB virus, to inject this protein into the organism of an animal capable of forming antibodies against this pro ⁇ tein, collect and purify the antibodies thus formed, use these antibodies to identify clones producing at least one protein having at least one epitope similar to one of the epitopes of the HVB virus, cultivating the corresponding modified host cell strains to these clones, so as to produce this protein, isolate and purify this protein from the cultures of these cell strains, and use this protein for the production of an anti-HBV vaccine.
• the host cells consist of bacteria of the genus Escherichia coli, the genome of which contains neither the natural gene expressing ⁇ -galactosidase, nor the EBG gene, it ie E. coli bacteria (Z ⁇ , EBG ⁇ ), the modified host cells are cultured in the presence of the X-gal medium and of the IPTG inducer, which is detected in the culture medium , the clones positive for the ⁇ 3-galactosidase function, and, finally, this DNA is then transplanted into a strain of host cells suitable for cultivation in large quantities for the industrial production of at least one peptide or polypeptide.
• the property serving as a criterion for selecting strains of transformed host cells can also be the ability of polypeptides or proteins, produced by culture of these strains, to bind to a given compound.
• This compound can be, in particular, advantageously chosen from peptides, polypeptides and proteins, in particular proteins which regulate DNA transcription activity.
• said compound can also be chosen from DNA and RNA sequences.
• a subject of the invention is also the proteins obtained in the case where the property serving as a criterion for selecting the transformed host cell strains consists precisely in the ability of these proteins to bind to proteins which regulate activity. DNA transcription, or DNA or RNA sequences.
• a further subject of the invention is the use of a protein, obtained in the first particular case which has just been mentioned, as a cis-regulatory sequence for the replication or transcription of a DNA sequence. neighbor.
• the invention also relates to the use of the proteins obtained in the second particular case mentioned above for modifying the transcription or replication properties of a DNA sequence, in a cell containing this sequence d 'DNA, and expressing this protein.
• the invention also relates to a process for the production of DNA, characterized in that one produces simultaneously, within the same medium, genes at least partially composed of synthetic stochastic polynucleotides , that the genes thus obtained are introduced into host cells, so as to produce a set of modified host cells, that a screening and / or selection of this set is carried out, so as to identify host cells which contain in their genome stochastic DNA sequences having at least one property desired, and the DNA is finally isolated from cultures of the host cells thus identified.
• the invention further relates to a process "for the production of RNA, characterized in that one produces simultaneously, within the same medium, genes at least partially composed of synthetic stochastic polynucleotides , that the genes thus obtained are introduced into host cells, so as to produce a set of modified host cells, that the independent strains of modified host cells thus produced are cultivated simultaneously, which is carried out screening and / or selection of this set, so as to identify the host cells which contain stochastic sequences of RNA having at least one desired property, and which RNA is isolated from cultures of host cells thus identified.
• Said property may advantageously be the ability to bind to a given compound, which may be, for example, a peptide, a polypeptide or a protein, or else the ability to catalyze a given chemical reaction, or alternatively the property to be a transfer RNA.
• a given compound which may be, for example, a peptide, a polypeptide or a protein, or else the ability to catalyze a given chemical reaction, or alternatively the property to be a transfer RNA.
• 30 ⁇ g (i.e. approximately 10 molecules) of the expression vector pUC8 are linearized by incubation for 2 hours at 37 ° (with 100 units of the restriction enzyme PstI in a volume of 300 ⁇ l of standard buffer
• the linearized vector is treated with phenol-chloroform then precipitated with ethanol, taken up in a volume of 30 ⁇ l and loaded onto a 0.8% agarose gel, in TEB standard medium. at 3V / cm for three hours, the linear vector is electroeluted, precipitated with ethanol and taken up in 30 ⁇ l of water.
• TdT Terminal-Transferase
• the reaction When the reaction reaches or exceeds an average value of 300 nucleotides per 3 * end, it is stopped and the free nucleotides are separated from the polymer by differential precipitation or by passage over molecular sieves of the Biogel P60 type. After concentration by precipitation with ethanol, the polymer is subjected sequentially to additional polymerization with TdT in the presence of dATP first, then of dTTP. These last two 11 reactions are separated by gel filtration and carried out for short times (30 seconds to 3 minutes), so as to result in the sequential addition of 10-30A, followed by 10-30 T at the end 3 '' polymers.
• Each vector molecule has, at the end of the previous operations, two stochastic sequences whose 3 'ends are complementary.
• the polymer mixture is then incubated under conditions favoring the hybridization of these complementary ends (150 mM Nacl, 10 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.6, 1 mM EDTA, at 65 ° C, for 10 minutes, then lowering the temperature to 22 ° C, at a rate of 3 to 4 ° C / hour).
• the hybrid polymers are then subjected to the action of 60 ⁇ l of the large fragment of polymerase I (Klenow) in the presence of the four nucleotide triphosphates (200 mM) at 4 ° C., for two hours. This step synthesizes the second strand from the 3 'end of the hybrid polymers.
• the molecules resulting from this direct synthesis from a linearized vector are then used to transform competent cells.
• Such a culture includes ⁇ e 3 x 10 7 to 108 transformants 12 independent, each containing a unique stochastic gene inserted into an expression vector.
• the oligonucleotides may have a number of bases which is not a multiple of three.
• the following example describes the use of a possible combination of oligonucleotides that meets these criteria:
• 5 'CATCGATG 3' is composed of 5 palindromes (therefore autocomplementary) of which it is easy to verify that their stochastic polymerization does not generate a "stop" codon and specifies all the amino acids.
• This step performs the stochastic polymerization of the oligomers in bi-catenary form, without cohesive ends.
• the polymers resulting from the assembly of 20 to 100 oligomers are then isolated by passing through a molecular sieve (Biogel P60). After concentration, this fraction is again subjected to polymerization cataly ⁇ sated by T4 DNA ligase under the conditions described above. Is then isolated, as described above, the polymers resulting from the assembly of at least 100 oligo ⁇ mothers.
• the expression vector pUC8 is linearized by the enzyme Sma I in the appropriate buffer, as described above.
• the vector linearized by the enzyme Sma I does not have cohesive ends.
• the linearized vector is then treated with alkaline phosphatase from calf intestine (CIP) at the rate of one unit per ⁇ ⁇ g of vector in the appropriate buffer, at 37 ° C., for 30 minutes.
• CIP alkaline phosphatase from calf intestine
• the CIP enzyme is then inactivated by two successive phenol-chloroform extractions.
• the linearized and dephosphorylated vector is precipitated with ethanol and then taken up in water at 1 mg / ml.
• the competent strains are transformed in the manner previously described.
• This operating mode differs from that which has just been described by the fact that it uses palindromic heptamers comprising a variable cohesive end, instead of octamers. It has the advantage of allowing the assembly of stochastic sequences comprising a lower proportion of identical patterns.
• the polymers thus obtained have a base which does not appear at their two 5 'ends. It is therefore necessary to add the complementary base to the corresponding 3 'ends.
• This is carried out as follows: 10 ⁇ g of double-stranded polymers are reacted with 10 ⁇ of Klenow enzymes, in the presence of the four deoxynucleotidephosphates (200 mM) in a volume of 100 ⁇ l, at 4 ⁇ C, for 60 minutes.
• the enzyme is inactivated by phenol-chloroform extraction and the polymers are freed from residual free nucleotides by differential precipitation.
• the polymers are then ligases to the host plasmid (previously linearized and dephosphorylated) by proceeding in the manner described above.
• the partially digested DNA is treated with T4 DNA ligase, which has the effect of creating an extremely large number of new sequences which retain the properties 16 fundamentals of the initial sequences. This new set of stochastic sequences is then used to transform competent cells.
• stochastic genes cloned by proceeding in procedures II and III can be excised intact from the expression vector pUC8 by using the restriction sites specific to the cloning vector and not represented in the stochastic DNA.
• the polymerization can be carried out directly on a vector of expression cloning, previously linearized, or else one can choose to proceed sequentially to the polymerization and then to the ligation of the polymers to the cloning and expression vector.
• transformation or transfection of competent bacterial cells is then carried out. This step clones stochastic genes into living cells where they are propagated and expressed indefinitely.
• the subsequent step of the process according to the invention consists in examining the transformed or transfected cells, by selection or screening, with a view to isolating one or more cells whose transforming or transfecting DNA leads to the synthesis of a transcription product (RNA) or translation (protein) having a desired property.
• RNA transcription product
• protein translation
• properties can be, for example, enzymatic, functional or structural.
• One of the most remarkable features of the method according to the invention is to allow the screening or the simultaneous selection of an exploitable product (RNA or protein) and its producer gene.
• the DNA synthesized and cloned as described can be selected or 18 screened in order to isolate DNA sequences constituting a product in itself, endowed with exploitable biochemical properties.
• EGF epider al growth factor
• Antibodies directed against EGF are prepared by injection into animals of EGF coupled with KLH (keyhole limpet hemocyanin) to increase the munogenicity of EGF.
• the anti-EGF bodies of the immunized animals are purified, for example by passage through an affinity column, the ligand of which is EGF or a synthetic peptide corresponding to an EGF fragment.
• the purified anti-EGF antibodies are used as a probe for the screening of a large number of bacterial clones lysed with chloroform on a solid support.
• Anti-EGF antibodies combine with stochastic peptides or proteins whose epitopes resemble those of the initial antigen. The clones containing these peptides or proteins are demonstrated by autoradiography after incubation of the solid supports with radioactive protein A or after incubation with an anti ⁇ radioactive antibody.
• a variant of this operating method consists in purifying peptides, polypeptides or stochastic proteins, which can be used as vaccines or more generally can be used for confer immunity against a pathogenic agent or to exert other effects on the immunological system, for example, creating tolerance or reducing hypersensitivity towards a given antigen, in particular as a result of the combination of these peptides, polypeptides or proteins with antibodies to this antigen. It will be understood that these peptides, polypeptides or proteins can thus be used both in vitro and in vivo.
• each has at least one epitope in common with X, therefore the set has a set of epitopes in common with X.
• This makes it possible to use the whole or a sub-set as a vaccine to confer immunity against X.
• It is, for example, easy to purify one or more of the capsid proteins of the virus hepatitis B. These proteins are injected into animals, for example rabbits, and the antibodies corresponding to the starting antigen are collected by purification on an affinity column. These antibodies are used, as described above, to identify the clones producing a protein having an epitope similar to at least one of the epitopes of the initial anti ⁇ gene. After purification, these proteins are used as antigen (either alone or in combination) in order to confer protection against hepatitis B. The subsequent production of the vaccine no longer requires the use of the initial pathogen.
• the first step of the method consists in generating a very large set of expression vectors each expressing a new distinct protein.
• the expression vector pUC8 with cloning of DNA stochastic sequences at the Pst I restriction site.
• the plasmids thus obtained are then introduced into an E. coli strain in the genome of which has eliminated by conventional genetic methods the natural gene for (3-galactosidase, Z, and a second EBG gene, unrelated to the first, but capable of mutating to the function (-> - gal.
• Such cells -hosts are not capable by themselves of catalyzing the hydrolysis of lactose and, consequently, of using lactose as a carbon source for growth. This makes it possible to use this host strain for screening or selection of the ⁇ -gal function.
• a biological test method which is suitable for studying transformed strains of E. coli having new genes expressing the ⁇ -gay function consists in the culture of the bacteria thus transformed in petri dishes containing the X-gal medium. In this case, any bacterial colony expressing a p-gay function is visualized in the form of a blue colony. By using such a bioassay, even a weak catalytic activity can be detected. The specific activity of the most characteristic enzymes is established between 10 and 10,000 molecules of product per second.
• each cell mant a weak enzyme and occupying an area of 1mm contains about 10 7 to 108 cells. If each cell has a single copy of the weak enzyme, each cell must catalyze between 10,000 and 100 X-gal cleavages in order to be detected, which takes about 2.7 to 270 hours. Since, under selective conditions, one can expect an increase in the number of copies of plasmids per cell, for example from 5 to 20 copies per cell and even from 100 to 1000, and taking into account that up to at 10% of the cell proteins can be specified by the new gene, the time required to detect a blue colony in the case of 100 molecules of low specific activity enzymes per cell would be of the order of 0, 27 hours to 2.7 hours.
• the bacterial colonies appearing in blue on the X-gal Petri dishes could be false positive due to a mutation in the bacterial genome giving it the ability to metabolize lactose, or for other reasons than those which result from the catalytic activity of the new protein expressed by the cells of the colony.
• Such false positives can be directly eliminated by purifying the DNA of the expression vectors originating from the positive colonies and by retransforming the host cells E. Coli Z ⁇ , EBG ⁇ . If the -gal activity results from the new protein encoded by the new gene in the expression vector, all the cells transformed by this vector should exhibit the ⁇ -gal function.
• Coli is subject to a mutation which causes it to become capable of 24 fulfilling this function, that is to say 10 -5, it can be calculated that out of 20 million transformed bacteria subjected to screening, 20 positive clones will, on average, be attributable to the new genes on the expression vectors which each contains, then that 200 positive clones will result from background mutations.
• the mass purification of the expression vectors of all of the 220 positive bacterial clones and the retransformation of the naive bacteria with the expression vectors pooled will produce a large number of positive clones made up of all the bacteria transformed with the 20 expression vectors which encode the new proteins having the desired function, and a very small number of bacterial clones resulting from background mutations containing the 200 expression vectors remaining uninteresting.
• a small number of cycles of purification of expression vectors in positive bacterial colonies, as well as of retransformation, allows the detection of the very rare truly positive expression vectors with respect to a desired catalytic activity, despite a very high background noise. host cell mutations for this function.
• the new protein can be purified by the use of standard techniques.
• the production of this protein in large quantities is made possible by the fact that the identification of the useful protein is accompanied by the simultaneous identification of the gene encoding this protein. Therefore, the expression vector itself can be used or the new gene can be transplanted into an expression vector more suitable for synthesis and isolation in large quantities.
• Such screening methods can be applied to any enzyme function for which there is an appropriate bioassay. Such screenings do not require that the enzymatic function that we are looking for be profitable for the host cell. We can perform a screening not 25 only in relation to an enzymatic function but also for any other desired property for which an appropriate bioassay can be established. We can thus perform even in the simple case of the ⁇ -gal function visualized on a Petri dish with X-gal medium, the screening of a number of new genes of the order of 100 million or even a billion for a catalytic activity or other desired property.
• selection techniques can be used for any property, catalytic or otherwise, the presence or absence of which can be made essential for the survival of host cells containing the expression vectors encoding the new genes. or which may be useful for the selection of viruses encoding and expressing the new gene.
• a suitable strain Z ⁇ EBG ⁇ from E. Coli cannot grow using lactose as the sole source of carbon.
• selection techniques can initially be used to enhance the 26 representation in host bacteria expressing the ⁇ -gal function, then perform a screening on a Petri dish with X-gal medium in order to effectively identify positive cells.
• selection techniques can initially be used to enhance the 26 representation in host bacteria expressing the ⁇ -gal function, then perform a screening on a Petri dish with X-gal medium in order to effectively identify positive cells.
• the application of increasingly stringent selection conditions is the easiest way to "purify one type or a small number of distinct host cell types including vectors expression encode the proteins catalyzing the chosen reaction.
• the process can be used to create and then isolate not only 27 exploitable proteins but also RNA and DNA constituting products in themselves, endowed with exploitable properties.
• the method consists in creating stochastic sequences of DNA, capable of interacting directly with other cellular or biochemical constituents, and that on the other hand these sequences cloned into a vector of expression - are transcribed into RNA which are also capable of multiple biochemical interactions.
• This example illustrates the selection of exploitable DNA and the purification and study of the mechanism of action of regulatory proteins binding to DNA.
• estradiol receptor a protein obtained by a method known per se.
• estradiol a sex steroid hormone
• this receptor changes its conformation and binds strongly to certain specific sequences of genomic DNA, thus affecting the transcription of genes involved in sexual differentiation and fertility control.
• a stochastic gene coding for a suppressor transfer RNA can be selected by the following procedure: g
• Each of these new proteins is capable of catalyzing any of the possible reactions in the set of all possible reactions leading from the set of building blocks to the target compound. If a sufficiently large number of stochastic proteins is present in a reaction mixture containing the compounds constituting the building blocks, so that a sufficiently large number of the possible reactions is catalyzed, there is a high probability that a sequence of reactions connected together to conduct the set of building blocks to the target compound will be catalyzed by a subset of the new proteins. It is obvious that the process can extend to catalysis not only one, but several target compounds, simultaneously.
• a set of new proteins capable of catalyzing the synthesis of a small specified peptide, namely a pentapeptide, from a set of building blocks. made up of smaller peptides and amino acids.
• Any peptide is constituted by a linear sequence of 20 different types of amino acids, oriented from its amino end to its carboxyl end.
• Any peptide can be formed in one step by condensation 31 terminal of two smaller peptides (or two amino acids), or by hydrolysis of a larger peptide.
• a peptide comprising M residues can therefore be formed of a number equal to M -1 condensation reactions.
• the number of reactions, R, by which a set of peptides having a length of 1, 2, 3 ... M residues, can be interconverted is greater than the number of molecular species T. This is expressed R / ⁇ "- ⁇ M-2.
• the formation of the peptide bond requires energy in a dilute aqueous medium but, if the peptides participating in the condensation reactions are sufficiently concentrated, it is the formation of the peptide bond rather than the hydrolysis which is thermodynamically favored and which occurs in high yield in the presence of a suitable enzyme catalyst, for example pepsin or trypsin, without requiring the presence of ATP or other high energy compounds. It is possible to use such a reaction mixture of peptides of small size and whose amino acids are radioactively labeled, by means of radioactive tracers of the 3H, 14C, 35S type, to constitute the set of building blocks with a sufficiently high concentration for lead to condensation reactions.
• a suitable enzyme catalyst for example pepsin or trypsin
• the formation of the pentapeptide does not result from the presence of bacterial contaminants and therefore requires the presence of a subset of new proteins in the reaction mixture.
• the next step is to separate the particular subset of cells that contain the expression vectors for the new proteins catalyzing the sequence of reactions leading to the target pentapeptide. For example if the number of reactions forming this sequence is equal to 5, there are approximately 5 new proteins which catalyze the necessary reactions.
• the “clone bank” of bacteria containing the expression vectors encoding the new genes contains a number of distinct new genes of the order of 1,000,000, the mass isolation of all these vectors is carried out. expression and retransformation of 100 distinct sets o of 10 bacteria with a sufficiently low vector-to-bacteria ratio so that, on average, each set of bacteria is transformed by only about half of the number of initial genes, that is, approximately 500,000.
• the initial 100 sets of bacteria about 3 will contain the 5 critical transformants.
• the total quantity of new genes present is only 500,000 instead of one million.
• the mutagenesis and the selection of this set of 5 stochastic genes allows the search for improved catalytic functions.
• the process as described produces, among other products, stochastic peptides and proteins. These peptides or proteins can act, catalytically or otherwise, on other compounds. They can also constitute the substrates on which they act. We can thus select (or screen) the ability of stochastic peptides or proteins to interact with each other and thereby modify the conformation, structure or function of some of them. Likewise, one can select (or screen) the capacity of these peptides and proteins to catalyze between them hydrolysis, condensation, transpeptidation or other modification reactions.
• the hydrolysis of a stochastic protein given by at least one member of all of the peptides and stochastic proteins can be monitored and measured by radioactive labeling of the given protein followed by an incubation with the mixture of stochastic proteins, in 35 presence of ions such as Mg, Ca, Zn, Fe and ATP and GTP compounds. The appearance of the radioactive fragments of the labeled protein is then measured, as described.
• the stochastic protein (s) which catalyze this reaction can then be isolated, as well as their producer gene, by sequential reduction of the library of transforming clones, as described.
• An extension of the method consists in the selection of a set of stochastic peptides and polypeptides capable of catalyzing a series of reactions leading from the starting constituents (amino acids and small peptides) to some of the peptides or polypeptides of the set. It is thus conceivable to select an assembly capable of catalyzing its own synthesis: such a reflexively autocatalytic assembly can be established in a chemostat where the reaction products are constantly diluted but where the concentration of starting materials is maintained cons ⁇ aunt. We. can verify the existence of a set of this nature by two-dimensional gel chromatography and by "HPLC" showing the synthesis of a stable distribution of peptides and polypeptides.
• the reaction volumes depend on the number of molecular species used and the concentrations necessary to promote the formation of peptide bonds over hydrolysis.
• the distribution of molecular species of an autocataly ⁇ tic set is likely to vary or to drift as a result of the emergence of variant autocatal tick sets.
• the peptides and polypeptides which constitute an autocatalytic unit can have certain elements in common with the vast starting unit (made up of the peptides and polypeptides coded according to the method) but can also contain peptides and polypeptides not coded by the whole of genes stochastic coding the starting set.
• an autocatalytic assembly can contain peptides coded initially by the stochastic genes and formed continuously in the autocatalytic assembly. To isolate this coded subset of peptides and proteins, the autocatalytic assembly can be used to obtain, by immunization in animals, polyclonal sera, recognizing a very large number of the constituents of the autocatalytic assembly.
• This set of stochastic genes expresses many of the encoded stochastic proteins that persist in the autocatalytic set.
• the rest of the coded constituents of such an autocatalytic set can be isolated by sequential reduction, as described, of the library of stochastic genes from which the subset detected by the immunological method has been subtracted.

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