A rapid method for recombination and site-specific mutagenesis by placing homologous ends on DNA using polymerase chain reaction.

We have developed a novel polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method that permits the rapid generation of site-specific mutants and recombinant DNA constructs with a minimum number of steps and primers. DNA segments are modified by using amplifying primers that add homologous ends to the polymerase chain reaction product(s). These homologous ends undergo recombination in vivo following transformation of recA-E. coli strains used routinely in cloning. In vivo circularization of PCR products containing plasmid sequences with a selective marker permits the rapid cloning of the desired mutant or recombinant. In the mutagenesis protocol, 7 of the 12 clones contained the product of interest, and 6 of these clones had no detected error (50% of the clones without detected errors). In each of several recombination protocols, at least 50% of the clones tested contained the insert of interest without detected errors.