Nucleic Acids Research, 1980, Vol. 8, No. 20 4575-4592
© 1980
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY |
The expression in E. coli of synthetic repeating polymeric genes coding for poly(L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine)
Searle Research & Development Lane End Road, High Wycombe, Bucks HP 12 4HL, UK
Received September 4, 1980. Two dodecadeoxynucleotides of defined sequence have been synthesised by phosphotriester methodology. They can be polymerised to give a double stranded DNA which codes, when read in the correct phase, for the repeating dipeptide poly(aspartylphenylalanine). This polymeric DNA has been cloned in E. coli K12 using as vector a plasmid having a controllable bacterial promoter upstream of the insertion site. Clones containing genes coding for up to 150 repeats of (aspartyl-phenyl-alanine) have been isolated and characterised. The polymeric inserts appear to be stable over many generations and are expressed in E. coli under the control of the bacterial promoter, to give a polymer of phenylalanine and aspartic acid which may be broken down enzymically to yield aspartyl-phenyl-alanine.