Advances in directed molecular evolution of reporter genes

Many reporter genes, such as gfp, gusA, and lacZ, are widely used for research into plants, animals, and microorganisms. Reporter genes, which offer high levels of sensitivity and convenience of detection, have been utilized in transgenic technology, promoter analysis, drug screening, and other areas. Directed molecular evolution is a powerful molecular tool for the creation of designer proteins for industrial and research applications, including studies of protein structure and function. Directed molecular evolution is based mainly on in vitro recombination methods, such as error-prone PCR and DNA shuffling. The strategies of directed evolution of enzyme biocatalysts have been the subject of several recent reviews. Here, we briefly summarize successes in the field of directed molecular evolution of reporter genes and discuss some of the applications.