Compositions and methods for the construction of a random allelic series

1. A method of generating a mutational library of a target nucleic acid, the method comprising:

a) creating a reaction mixture comprising the target nucleic acid, polymerase, a forward primer, deoxynucleotide triphosphates (dNTPs) and universal base triphosphates comprising a blocking group;

b) performing linear PCR, wherein the linear PCR generates products of various lengths, wherein each product comprises about 1 universal base comprising a blocking group, and wherein the linear PCR stops after incorporating the universal base triphosphate comprising a blocking group;

c) removing the blocking group from the universal base incorporated into the linear product;

d) extending the products from (c) with polymerase, wherein the extension products comprise about 1 universal base incorporated therein; and

e) performing exponential PCR, wherein the products from (d) are amplified and wherein the products comprise a single point mutation in the location where the universal base was incorporated; and

wherein the products of the exponential PCR make up a mutational library of the target nucleic acid comprising a plurality of products each comprising a single point mutation, wherein the point mutations are evenly distributed throughout the products of the mutational library.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the universal base is selected from the group consisting of 3-nitropyrrole, 5-nitroindole, and 2′-dexoyinosine.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the universal base is 2′-dexoyinosine.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the blocking group is 3′-O—NH 2 .

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forward primer is biotinylated.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the deoxynucleotide triphosphates (dNTPs) and universal base triphosphates are added to the reaction mixture in a 1:1 ratio.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the product in step (b) comprises 1 universal base comprising a blocking group.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the linear PCR product produced in step (b) is isolated prior to removing the blocking group in step (c).

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forward primer is biotinylated and the linear product produced in step (b) is isolated via streptavidin beads prior to removing the blocking group in step (c).

10. The method of claim 4 , wherein the blocking group is removed by exposure to 70 mM sodium nitrite buffer, pH 5.5.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target nucleic acid is degraded prior to step (e).

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein more than 30% of the products of the exponential PCR comprise a single point mutation relative to the target nucleic acid.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein less than 2% of the products of the exponential PCR comprise more than a single point mutation relative to the target nucleic acid.

14. A method of making 2′-deoxy, 3′-O—NH 2 inosine triphosphate from 2′-deoxy, 3′-O—NH 2 adenosine triphosphate, the method comprising:

a) dephosphorylating 2′-deoxy, 3′-O—NH 2 adenosine triphosphate with a phosphatase;

b) deaminating the product from (a) with a deaminase; and

c) phosphorylating the product from (b) with three different kinases.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the phosphatase is shrimp alkaline phosphatase.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein step (a) occurs for about 1 hour at about 37° C.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein after step (a) and prior to step (b) the phosphatase is denatured.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the deaminase is adenosine deaminase.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein step (b) is performed in 50 mM postassium phosphate buffer.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the three different kinases are adenylate kinase, T4 polynucleotide kinase and pyruvate kinase.