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Technologies of directed protein evolution in vivo

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Abstract

Directed evolution of proteins for improved or modified functionality is an important branch of modern biotechnology. It has traditionally been performed using various in vitro methods, but more recently, methods of in vivo artificial evolution come into play. In this review, we discuss and compare prokaryotic and eukaryotic-based systems of directed protein evolution in vivo, highlighting their benefits and current limitations and focusing on the biotechnological potential of vertebrate immune cells for the generation of protein diversity by means of the immunoglobulin diversification machinery.

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Abbreviations

AID:

Activation-induced deaminase

BFP:

Blue fluorescent protein

EGFP:

Enhanced GFP

FACS:

Fluorescence-activated cell sorting

GFP:

Green fluorescent protein

GPCR:

G protein-coupled receptor

IPTG:

Isopropyl β-d-1-thiogalactopyranoside

mRFP:

Monomeric red fluorescent protein

PCR:

Polymerase chain reaction

TSA:

Trichostatin A

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Acknowledgments

The work was supported by grant No. 02.740.11.5016 from the Russian Ministry of Science and by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (TR SFB-11) to V.L.K. A.B. is a recipient of the Russian state scholarship No. 8084 p/12612 “Participant of the Youth Contest for Science and Innovation”.

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  1. Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, Institutskaya St. 4, 142290, Pushchino, Russian Federation

    Artem Blagodatski & Vladimir L. Katanaev

  2. University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, Box 643, 78457, Konstanz, Germany

    Vladimir L. Katanaev

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  1. Artem Blagodatski
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Correspondence to Vladimir L. Katanaev.

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Blagodatski, A., Katanaev, V.L. Technologies of directed protein evolution in vivo. Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 68, 1207–1214 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-010-0610-5

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