Abstract: Engineered CRISPR-Cas9 nucleases with improved specificity and their use in genomic engineering, epigenomic engineering, genome targeting, and genome editing.

Abstract: Engineered CRISPR-Cas9 nucleases with improved specificity and their use in genomic engineering, epigenomic engineering, genome targeting, and genome editing.

Abstract: Engineered CRISPR-Cas9 nucleases with improved specificity and their use in genomic engineering, epigenomic engineering, genome targeting, and genome editing.

Abstract: Engineered CRISPR-Cas9 nucleases with improved specificity and their use in genomic engineering, epigenomic engineering, genome targeting, and genome editing.

Abstract: Engineered CRISPR-Cas9 nucleases with improved specificity and their use in genomic engineering, epigenomic engineering, genome targeting, and genome editing.

Abstract: Engineered CRISPR-Cas9 nucleases with improved specificity and their use in genomic engineering, epigenotnic engineering, genome targeting, and genome editing.

Abstract: Engineered CRISPR-Cas9 nucleases with improved specificity and their use in genomic engineering, epigenomic engineering, genome targeting, and genome editing.

Abstract: Some aspects of this disclosure provide strategies, methods, and reagents for determining nuclease target site preferences and specificity of site-specific endonucleases. Some methods provided herein utilize a novel “one-cut” strategy for screening a library of concatemers comprising repeat units of candidate nuclease target sites and constant insert regions to identify library members that can been cut by a nuclease of interest via sequencing of an intact target site adjacent and identical to a cut target site. Some aspects of this disclosure provide strategies, methods, and reagents for selecting a site-specific endonuclease based on determining its target site preferences and specificity. Methods and reagents for determining target site preference and specificity are also provided.

Abstract: Engineered transcriptional activator-like effectors (TALEs) are versatile tools for genome manipulation with applications in research and clinical contexts. One current drawback of TALEs is their tendency to bind and cleave off-target sequence, which hampers their clinical application and renders applications requiring high-fidelity binding unfeasible. This disclosure provides engineered TALE domains and TALEs comprising such engineered domains, e.g., TALE nucleases (TALENs), TALE transcriptional activators, TALE transcriptional repressors, and TALE epigenetic modification enzymes, with improved specificity and methods for generating and using such TALEs.

Abstract: Engineered transcriptional activator-like effectors (TALEs) are versatile tools for genome manipulation with applications in research and clinical contexts. One current drawback of TALEs is their tendency to bind and cleave off-target sequence, which hampers their clinical application and renders applications requiring high-fidelity binding unfeasible. This disclosure provides engineered TALE domains and TALEs comprising such engineered domains, e.g., TALE nucleases (TALENs), TALE transcriptional activators, TALE transcriptional repressors, and TALE epigenetic modification enzymes, with improved specificity and methods for generating and using such TALEs.

Abstract: Engineered nucleases are promising tools for genome manipulation and determining off-target cleavage sites of these enzymes is of great interest. We developed an in vitro selection method that interrogates 1011 DNA sequences for their ability to be cleaved by nucleases. The method revealed hundreds of thousands of DNA sequences that can be cleaved in vitro by two ZFNs, CCR5-224 and VF2468, which target the endogenous human CCR5 and VEGF-A genes, respectively. Analysis of the identified sites in cultured human cells revealed CCR5-224-induced mutagenesis at nine off-target loci. Similarly, we observed 31 off-target sites cleaved by VF2468 in cultured human cells. Our findings establish an energy compensation model of ZFN specificity in which excess binding energy contributes to off-target ZFN cleavage and suggest strategies for the improvement of future nuclease design. It was also observed that TALENs can achieve cleavage specificity similar to or higher than that observed in ZFNs.

Abstract: Some aspects of this disclosure provide strategies, methods, and reagents for determining nuclease target site preferences and specificity of site-specific endonucleases. Some methods provided herein utilize a novel “one-cut” strategy for screening a library of concatemers comprising repeat units of candidate nuclease target sites and constant insert regions to identify library members that can been cut by a nuclease of interest via sequencing of an intact target site adjacent and identical to a cut target site.

Abstract: Some aspects of this disclosure provide strategies, methods, and reagents for determining nuclease target site preferences and specificity of site-specific endonucleases. Some methods provided herein utilize a novel “one-cut” strategy for screening a library of concatemers comprising repeat units of candidate nuclease target sites and constant insert regions to identify library members that can been cut by a nuclease of interest via sequencing of an intact target site adjacent and identical to a cut target site.

Abstract: Engineered transcriptional activator-like effectors (TALEs) are versatile tools for genome manipulation with applications in research and clinical contexts. One current drawback of TALEs is their tendency to bind and cleave off-target sequence, which hampers their clinical application and renders applications requiring high-fidelity binding unfeasible. This disclosure provides engineered TALE domains and TALEs comprising such engineered domains, e.g., TALE nucleases (TALENs), TALE transcriptional activators, TALE transcriptional repressors, and TALE epigenetic modification enzymes, with improved specificity and methods for generating and using such TALEs.

Abstract: Some aspects of this disclosure provide strategies, methods, and reagents for selecting a site-specific endonuclease based on determining its target site preferences and specificity. Methods and reagents for determining target site preference and specificity are also provided.

Abstract: Some aspects of this disclosure provide strategies, methods, and reagents for determining nuclease target site preferences and specificity of site-specific endonucleases. Some methods provided herein utilize a novel “one-cut” strategy for screening a library of concatemers comprising repeat units of candidate nuclease target sites and constant insert regions to identify library members that can been cut by a nuclease of interest via sequencing of an intact target site adjacent and identical to a cut target site.

Abstract: Engineered nucleases (e.g., zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcriptional activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), and others) are promising tools for genome manipulation and determining off-target cleavage sites of these enzymes is of great interest. We developed an in vitro selection method that interrogates 1011 DNA sequences for their ability to be cleaved by active, dimeric nulceases, e.g., ZFNs and TALENs. The method revealed hundreds of thousands of DNA sequences, some present in the human genome, that can be cleaved in vitro by two ZFNs, CCR5-224 and VF2468, which target the endogenous human CCR5 and VEGF-A genes, respectively. Analysis of the identified sites in cultured human cells revealed CCR5-224-induced mutagenesis at nine off-target loci. Similarly, we observed 31 off-target sites cleaved by VF2468 in cultured human cells.

Abstract: Engineered nucleases (e.g., zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcriptional activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), and others) are promising tools for genome manipulation and determining off-target cleavage sites of these enzymes is of great interest. We developed an in vitro selection method that interrogates 1011 DNA sequences for their ability to be cleaved by active, dimeric nulceases, e.g., ZFNs and TALENs. The method revealed hundreds of thousands of DNA sequences, some present in the human genome, that can be cleaved in vitro by two ZFNs, CCR5-224 and VF2468, which target the endogenous human CCR5 and VEGF-A genes, respectively. Analysis of the identified sites in cultured human cells revealed CCR5-224-induced mutagenesis at nine off-target loci. Similarly, we observed 31 off-target sites cleaved by VF2468 in cultured human cells.