The present invention relates to artificial transcription factors (ATFs) that alter gene expression, including inducing pluripotency in cells or promoting the conversion of cells to specific cell fates. In particular, provided herein is a zinc-finger based ATF library that can be screened in cells by looking for expression of a specific gene (e.g., reporter expression), monitoring for cell surface markers or morphology, or via functional assays.

The present disclosure provides improved genome editing compositions and methods for editing a PD-1 gene. The disclosure further provides genome edited cells for the prevention, treatment, or amelioration of at least one symptom of, a cancer, an infectious disease, an autoimmune disease, an inflammatory disease, or an immunodeficiency.

In some aspects, the disclosure relates to recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAVs) comprising a nucleic acid encoding a fusion protein comprising a DNA-binding domain and a transcriptional regulator domain and methods of using the same. In some embodiments, expression of the fusion protein results in modified expression of a target gene in a cell.

Disclosed herein include circuits, compositions, nucleic acids, populations, systems, and methods enabling single circuits to generate multiple molecularly and functionally distinct states that are each stable across multiple cell division cycles. Synthetic circuits provided herein can stably exist in multiple distinct states characterized by differences in the concentrations and expression levels of its components. In the absence of changes to the external environment, each of these states can be stable. In some embodiments, transcription factors provided herein activate when dimerized, and show much weaker activity as monomers. In some embodiments, each transcription factor homodimer activates expression of its own gene. In some embodiments, transcription factors can form mixed heterodimers with one another that do not strongly activate any genes in the circuit. Different embodiments of the synthetic circuits provided herein can use different numbers of transcription factors to produce a growing number of stable states.

This disclosure concerns compositions and methods for increasing the expression of a polynucleotide of interest. Some embodiments concern novel transactivation polypeptides and variants thereof that have been identified in plants, and methods of using the same. Particular embodiments concern the use of at least one DNA-binding polypeptide in a fusion protein to target at least one transactivation polypeptide or variant thereof to a specific binding site on a nucleic acid comprising the polynucleotide of interest, such that its expression may be increased.

Disclosed is a method for editing mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) within a cell, which include introducing into the cell (a) a DNA cleaving enzyme targeted to the mtDNA sequence to be deleted; (b) a first DNA binding component targeted to a sequence adjacent to the 5′ end of a mtDNA sequence to be deleted; and (c) a second DNA binding component targeted to a sequence adjacent to the 3′ end of the mtDNA sequence to be deleted, where the DNA cleaving enzyme generates a double stranded break (DSB) within the mtDNA sequence to be deleted or generates a single strand nick on the light strand of the mtDNA sequence to be deleted, and wherein the mtDNA sequence between the target sequence for the first DNA binding component and the target sequence for the second DNA binding component is deleted.

The present disclosure is in the field of genome engineering, particularly targeted genetic modification of a CISH gene.

Disclosed herein are polypeptides for use in treating diseases associated with pathogenic genomic repeat sequences, such as neurological disorders. Also disclosed are nucleic acid molecules and vectors that encode such polypeptides. Therapeutic uses and methods for treating such diseases are also disclosed; in particular, therapeutic uses and methods comprising complementary pairs and combinations of therapeutic polypeptides, nucleic acids or vectors. Also disclosed is a method and associated peptides and nucleic acids for active, long-term delivery of therapeutic molecules to target cells in vivo or in vitro.

Provided herein are nucleic acid molecules, vectors, and recombinant AAV comprising an inducible gene expression system. The system includes a transgene encoding a gene product operably linked to expression control sequences comprising a promoter; an activation domain comprising a canine or feline transactivation domain and a FKBP12-rapamycin binding (FRB) domain of canine or feline FKBP12-rapamycin-associated protein (FRAP); a DNA binding domain comprising a zinc finger homeodomain (ZFHD) and one, two or three FK506 binding protein domain (FKBP) subunit genes; and at least 8 copies of the binding site for ZFHD (8XZFHD) followed by a minimal IL2 promoter. The presence of an effective amount of a rapamycin or a rapalog induces expression of the transgene in a host cell.

The present disclosure provides a composition comprising a site-specific nuclease domain capable of cleaving a target DNA sequence; and a sequence-specific DNA binding domain capable of specifically binding to a recognition DNA sequence, wherein the site-specific nuclease domain operably links to the sequence-specific DNA binding domain.