Abstract: A method for the construction of a library of recombined polynucleotides from a number of different starting single or double stranded parental DNA templates is disclosed, wherein the starting single or double stranded parental DNA templates represent discrete points in a population of genes encoding evolutionary or synthetic homologues of a peptide having homologies ranging over a broad spectrum from less than 15% to more than 80%, said population exhibiting at least one identification sequence, and whereby said genes are subjected to a gene shuffling procedure to generate shuffled mutants of said population of genes representing additional discrete points between those of said starting templates.

Abstract: An enzyme having endo-1,3(4)-.beta.-glucanase activity is described which is encoded by the DNA sequence ATGTGGTCTCCCAAGGTTGCTGCTGCCGTCCTCGCCTTTGTTGGTGCTACCAACGCCT GGCAGCCCCCGACCTACAGCGGCTTCAACTTGGTCTGGACTGACACCTTCGCTGGCAACGGTGGCACTTCTCCT A ACCAGAACAACTGGAACATCATCACCGGAAACTTGAACGTCAACGCCGAGCAGGAGACCTACTCCTCCAGCAC C GCCAATGTTCAGCTCAGTGGTGGCAGCACCCTTCAGCTGGTCCCCTGGAGAGACAGCAGCAAGGGAACCAGCA C CTTTGGTGGCTGGACCTCCGGTCGTCTTGAGTCCAAGTACACATTCACTCCCGCGGCCGGCAAGGTCACCCGT CTT GAAGCCGCCATCCGCTTCGGCAGCAACGCTCAGGCCAACAAGCAGGGTATCTGGCCTGCTTTCTGGATGCTGGG T GACTCCCTCCGTCAACCGGGCGGCAGCTGGCCCAACTGTGGTGAGATCGACATCATGGAGACTGTCGACGGCC A GGCTACCGGCCACGGTACCCTTCACTGCGACGTCTACCCCGGCGGTATCTGCAACGAGGGTAACGGTATTGGA GG CCCTGTCAACATCGCCAACGTCAACGACTGGCACGCTTGGCGTGTTGAGATCGACCGCACTCCCAGCAGCTGGC A ATCCGAGACCCTCACCTGGTCCCTCGACGGCACCATCTACTTCCAGATCACTGGCTCTCGCATTGGCAACCAG GG CGTCTGGAACAACATTGCTCACAGCCCCCTCTTCTTCATTCTTAACGTTGCTGTCGGTGGCAACTGGCCTGGCA AC CCCAACAGCGCTACCCTCGATGGCTACGGAAGCATGATGGAGGTTGGCTACGTCGCTCAGTACTCTACCTAA (SEQ ID NO:3).