Randomized libraries of zinc finger proteins

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods of using libraries of randomized zinc finger proteins to identify genes associated with selected phenotypes.

1 . A method for making a nucleic acid library encoding randomized zinc finger proteins, the method comprising: 
 a) providing a first polynucleotide encoding a first zinc finger; and    b) randomly combining the first polynucleotide with a plurality of additional polynucleotides, wherein at least one of the additional polynucleotides encodes a zinc finger that is heterologous to the first zinc finger.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a plurality of first polynucleotides are provided, each of which encodes a different zinc finger.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the library encodes three-finger zinc finger proteins.  
   
   
       4 . A method for making a nucleic acid library encoding randomized zinc finger proteins, wherein each protein in the library comprises n zinc fingers, the method comprising: 
 a) providing q different zinc finger sequences, wherein q is greater than n; and    b) randomly combining the q different zinc finger sequences.