Modified Pyrococcus Polymerases and Uses Thereof

1 .- 20 . (canceled)

21 . A polymerase comprising an amino acid sequence that is at least 80% identical to a continuous 500 amino acid sequence within SEQ ID NO: 1; comprising the following amino acids:

a valine at amino acid position 486 or at an amino acid position functionally equivalent to amino acid position 486;

a serine at amino acid position 515 or at an amino acid position functionally equivalent to amino acid position 515; and

at least one of the following amino acids:

an alanine at amino acid position 215 or at an amino acid position functionally equivalent to amino acid position 215;

an alanine at amino acid position 315 or at an amino acid position functionally equivalent to amino acid position 315;

an alanine at amino acid position 477 or at an amino acid position functionally equivalent to amino acid position 477;

a tryptophan at amino acid position 477 or at an amino acid position functionally equivalent to amino acid position 477;

an alanine at amino acid position 478 or at an amino acid position functionally equivalent to amino acid position 478;

an alanine at amino acid position 603 or at an amino acid position functionally equivalent to amino acid position 603;

an alanine at amino acid position 714 or at an amino acid position functionally equivalent to amino acid position 714;

an alanine at amino acid position 719 or at an amino acid position functionally equivalent to amino acid position 719; or

an alanine at amino acid position 736 or at an amino acid position functionally equivalent to amino acid position 736.

22 . The polymerase of claim 21 , further comprising an alanine at amino acid position 409 or at an amino acid position functionally equivalent to amino acid position 409.

23 . The polymerase of claim 21 , further comprising an alanine at amino acid position 409 or at an amino acid position functionally equivalent to amino acid position 409 and a glycine at amino acid position 410 or at an amino acid position functionally equivalent to amino acid position 410.

24 . The polymerase of claim 23 , further comprising a proline at amino acid position 411 or at an amino acid position functionally equivalent to amino acid position 411.

25 . The polymerase of claim 23 , further comprising an isoleucine at amino acid position 411 or at an amino acid position functionally equivalent to amino acid position 411.

26 . The polymerase of claim 21 , further comprising a glutamic acid or an aspartic acid at amino acid position 153 or at an amino acid position functionally equivalent to amino acid position 153.

27 . The polymerase of claim 21 , further comprising at least one of the following amino acids:

an alanine at amino acid position 129 or at an amino acid position functionally equivalent to amino acid position 129;

an alanine at amino acid position 141 or at an amino acid position functionally equivalent to amino acid position 141;

an alanine at amino acid position 143 or at an amino acid position functionally equivalent to amino acid position 143;

an alanine at amino acid position 144 or at an amino acid position functionally equivalent to amino acid position 144;

a glutamic acid at amino acid position 153 or at an amino acid position functionally equivalent to amino acid position 153;

a leucine at amino acid position 522 or at an amino acid position functionally equivalent to amino acid position 522;

an isoleucine at amino acid position 591 or at an amino acid position functionally equivalent to amino acid position 591;

a serine at amino acid position 479 or at an amino acid position functionally equivalent to amino acid position 479;

a tryptophan at amino acid position 477 or at an amino acid position functionally equivalent to amino acid position 477 and an alanine at amino acid position 478 or at an amino acid position functionally equivalent to amino acid position 478;

a leucine at amino acid position 640 or at an amino acid position functionally equivalent to amino acid position 640;

a glutamic acid at amino acid position 713 or at an amino acid position functionally equivalent to amino acid position 713; or

an alanine at amino acid position 720 or at an amino acid position functionally equivalent to amino acid position 720.

28 . The polymerase of claim 21 , wherein the polymerase comprises an amino acid sequence that is at least 90% identical to a continuous 500 amino acid sequence within SEQ ID NO: 1.

29 . The polymerase of claim 21 , which exhibits an increased rate of incorporation of modified nucleotides, relative to a control.

30 . The polymerase of claim 21 , which is capable of incorporating modified nucleotides comprising an azide-containing reversible terminator moiety, sulfide-containing reversible terminator moiety, or isomeric reversible terminator moiety.

31 . The polymerase of claim 21 , wherein the polymerase is selected from a Pyrococcus abyssi, Pyrococcus endeavori, Pyrococcus furiosus, Pyrococcus glycovorans, Pyrococcus horikoshii, Pyrococcus kukulkanii, Pyrococcus woesei, Pyrococcus yayanosii, Pyrococcus sp., Pyrococcus sp. 12/1, Pyrococcus sp. 121, Pyrococcus sp. 303, Pyrococcus sp. 304, Pyrococcus sp. 312, Pyrococcus sp. 32-4, Pyrococcus sp. 321, Pyrococcus sp. 322, Pyrococcus sp. 323, Pyrococcus sp. 324, Pyrococcus sp. 95-12-1, Pyrococcus sp. AV5, Pyrococcus sp. Ax99-7, Pyrococcus sp. C2, Pyrococcus sp. EX2, Pyrococcus sp. Fla95-Pc, Pyrococcus sp. GB-3A, Pyrococcus sp. GB-D, Pyrococcus sp. GBD, Pyrococcus sp. GI-H, Pyrococcus sp. GI-J, Pyrococcus sp. GIL, Pyrococcus sp. HT3, Pyrococcus sp. JTI, Pyrococcus sp. LMO-A29, Pyrococcus sp. LMO-A30, Pyrococcus sp. LMO-A31, Pyrococcus sp. LMO-A32, Pyrococcus sp. LMO-A33, Pyrococcus sp. LMO-A34, Pyrococcus sp. LMO-A35, Pyrococcus sp. LMO-A36, Pyrococcus sp. LMO-A37, Pyrococcus sp. LMO-A38, Pyrococcus sp. LMO-A39, Pyrococcus sp. LMO-A40, Pyrococcus sp. LMO-A41, Pyrococcus sp. LMO-A42, Pyrococcus sp. M24D13, Pyrococcus sp. MA2.31, Pyrococcus sp. MA2.32, Pyrococcus sp. MA2.34, Pyrococcus sp. MV1019, Pyrococcus sp. MV4, Pyrococcus sp. MV7, Pyrococcus sp. MZ14, Pyrococcus sp. MZ4, Pyrococcus sp. NA2, Pyrococcus sp. NS102-T, Pyrococcus sp. P12.1, Pyrococcus sp. Pikanate 5017, Pyrococcus sp. PK 5017, Pyrococcus sp. ST04, Pyrococcus sp. ST700, Pyrococcus sp. Tc-2-70, Pyrococcus sp. Tc95-7C-I, Pyrococcus sp. TC95-7C-S, Pyrococcus sp. Tc95_6, Pyrococcus sp. V211, Pyrococcus sp. V212, Pyrococcus sp. V221, Pyrococcus sp. V222, Pyrococcus sp. V231, Pyrococcus sp. V232, Pyrococcus sp. V61, Pyrococcus sp. V62, Pyrococcus sp. V63, Pyrococcus sp. V72, Pyrococcus sp. V73, Pyrococcus sp. VB112, Pyrococcus sp. VB113, Pyrococcus sp. VB81, Pyrococcus sp. VB82, Pyrococcus sp. VB83, Pyrococcus sp. VB85, Pyrococcus sp. VB86, Pyrococcus sp. VB93 polymerase, Pyrococcus furiosus DSM 3638, Pyrococcus sp. GE23, Pyrococcus sp. GI-H, Pyrococcus sp. NA2, Pyrococcus sp. ST04, or Pyrococcus sp. ST700 polymerase.

32 . The polymerase of claim 21 , wherein the polymerase is a Pyrococcus abyssi or Pyrococcus horikoshii polymerase.

33 . The polymerase according to claim 21 , which is capable of incorporating modified nucleotides at reaction temperatures across the range of 40° C. to 80° C.

34 . The polymerase according to claim 21 , wherein the polymerase comprises the following amino acid substitution mutations relative to SEQ ID NO:1:

M129A; D141A; E143A; T144A; L409A; Y410G; A486V; T515S; T591I; K477W; K478A;

M129A; D141A; E143A; T144A; L409A; Y410G; A486V; T515S; T591I; D215A;

M129A; D141A; E143A; T144A; L409A; Y410G; A486V; T515S; T591I; E719A;

M129A; D141A; E143A; T144A; L409A; Y410G; A486V; T515S; T591I; N736A;

M129A; D141A; E143A; T144A; L409A; Y410G; A486V; T515S; T591I; R714A;

M129A; D141A; E143A; T144A; L409A; Y410G; A486V; T515S; T591I; K603A;

M129A; D141A; D141A; E143A; T144A; L409A; Y410G; A486V; T515S; T591I; D315A;

M129A; D141A; E143A; T144A; L409A; Y410G; P411I; A486V; T515S; T591I; K603A;

M129A; D141A; E143A; T144A; L409A; Y410G; P411I; A486V; T515S; T591I; K477W; K478A;

M129A; D141A; E143A; T144A; L409A; Y410G; P411I; A486V; T515S; T591I; N736A;

M129A; D141A; E143A; T144A; L409A; Y410G; P411I; A486V; T515S; T591I; K477A;

M129A; D141A; E143A; T144A; L409A; Y410G; P411I; A486V; T515S; T591I; K478A;

M129A; D141A; E143A; T144A; L409A; Y410G; P411I; A486V; T515S; T591I; D215A;

M129A; D141A; E143A; T144A; L409A; Y410G; A486V; T515S; T591I; K478A;

M129A; D141A; E143A; T144A; L409A; Y410G; A486V; T515S; T591I; K477A; K478A; L479S;

M129A; D141A; E143A; T144A; L409A; Y410G; P411I; A486V; T515S; T591I; G153E; K713E; K478A;

M129A; D141A; E143A; T144A; L409A; Y410G; P411I; A486V; T515S; T591I; G153E; K713E; L479S;

M129A; D141A; E143A; T144A; L409A; Y410G; P411I; A486V; T515S; T591I; G153E; K713E; K477A; K478A; L479S; or

M129A; D141A; E143A; T144A; L409A; Y410G; P411I; A486V; T515S; T591I; G153E; K713E; A640L.

35 . The polymerase according to claim 21 , wherein the polymerase comprises the following amino acid substitution mutations relative to SEQ ID NO:1:

M129A; D141A; E143A; T144A; L409A; Y410G; A486V; T515S; T591I; K477W; K478A;

M129A; D141A; E143A; T144A; L409A; Y410G; A486V; T515S; T591I; D215A;

M129A; D141A; E143A; T144A; L409A; Y410G; A486V; T515S; T591I; E719A;

M129A; D141A; E143A; T144A; L409A; Y410G; A486V; T515S; T591I; N736A;

M129A; D141A; E143A; T144A; L409A; Y410G; A486V; T515S; T591I; R714A;

M129A; D141A; E143A; T144A; L409A; Y410G; A486V; T515S; T591I; K603A; or

M129A; D141A; D141A; E143A; T144A; L409A; Y410G; A486V; T515S; T591I; D315A.

36 . A method of incorporating a modified nucleotide into a nucleic acid sequence comprising allowing the following components to interact: (i) a nucleic acid template, (ii) a nucleotide solution, and (iii) a polymerase, wherein the polymerase is a polymerase of claim 21 .

37 . The method of claim 36 , wherein the polymerase is capable of incorporating a modified nucleotide into a nucleic acid sequence in stringent hybridization conditions.

38 . The method of claim 36 , wherein the polymerase is capable of incorporating a modified nucleotide into a nucleic acid sequence at 55° C. to 80° C.