Genetically Encoded Synthesis of Protein-Based Polymers with Precisely Specified Molecular Weight and Sequence by Recursive Directional Ligation: Examples from the Elastin-like Polypeptide System

We report a new strategy for the synthesis of genes encoding repetitive, protein-based polymers of specified sequence, chain length, and architecture. In this stepwise approach, which we term “recursive directional ligation” (RDL), short gene segments are seamlessly combined in tandem using recombinant DNA techniques. The resulting larger genes can then be recursively combined until a gene of a desired length is obtained. This approach is...