Recombined molecules and preparation thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to novel molecules and libraries thereof as well as methods for their production. Methods of producing the novel molecules include the cleaving of starting molecules into molecular subunits and the assembly of the subunits into novel recombined molecules.

1 . A method comprising: 
 a. cleaving one or more starting molecules into molecular subunits; and    b. assembling two or more of said subunits to produce at least one recombined molecule which is different from said starting molecule(s),    wherein at least one of said cleaving or assembling is mediated by an enzyme and wherein at least one of said recombined molecules is not a recombined nucleic acid or a recombined protein.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said cleaving is of two or more different starting molecules and said recombined molecule(s) comprises intermolecular combinations of subunits from said different molecules.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the molecular subunits is modified prior to said assembling.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising modifying said recombined molecule.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said starting molecules are selected from the group consisting of polypeptides, peptidomimetics, nucleic acids, alkaloids, macrolides, terpenes, macrocycles, fermentation products, and molecules from plant, animal, bacterial, and fungal sources.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the starting molecules is selected from the group consisting of vancomycin, Rifamycin B, erythromycin, camptothecin, 9-hydroxyellipticine, bisamidophthalanide derivatives, rapamycin, actinomycinD, avermectin B1, phomopsin A, and cytochalasin D.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said starting molecules is attached to a solid support.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said cleaving is mediated by an enzyme selected from the group consisting of hydrolases, oxidases, reductases, proteases, peptidases, esterases, and mono-oxygenases.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said assembling is mediated by an enzyme selected from the group consisting of lyases, ligases, fumarases, glycosyl transferases, glycosidases, haloperoxidases and halohydrin eposidases.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising screening for a biological activity of said recombined molecule comprising contacting said recombined molecule with a biological target, and determining the effect of said recombined molecule on a property of said biological target.  
     
     
         11 . A library of recombined molecules made according to the method of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         12 . A method for screening for a biologically active recombined molecule comprising contacting the library of  claim 11  with a biological target and determining the effect of said library on a property of said biological target.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said library is partially purified prior to said contacting.  
     
     
         14  The method of  claim 12  further comprising isolating from said library a recombined molecule with said biological activity.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising identifying the structure of said recombined molecule with said biological activity.  
     
     
         16 . A biologically active recombined molecule made according to the method of  claim 1.