The present invention provides engineered proline hydroxylase polypeptides for the production of hydroxylated compounds, polynucleotides encoding the engineered proline hydroxylases, host cells capable of expressing the engineered proline hydroxylases, and methods of using the engineered proline hydroxylases to prepare compounds useful in the production of active pharmaceutical agents.

A method for producing cis-5-hydroxy-L-pipecolic acid, the method comprising allowing a 2-oxoglutarate-dependent L-pipecolic acid hydroxylase to act on L-pipecolic acid to generate cis-5-hydroxy-L-pipecolic acid, wherein the 2-oxoglutarate-dependent L-pipecolic acid hydroxylase comprises the polypeptide (A), (B) or (C) below: (A) a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 4 or 11; (B) a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 4 or 11 except that one or several amino acids are deleted, substituted, and/or added, which polypeptide has 2-oxoglutarate-dependent

L-pipecolic acid hydroxylase activity; or (C) a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence with an identity of not less than 60% to the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 4 or 11, which polypeptide has 2-oxoglutarate-dependent L-pipecolic acid hydroxylase activity.

Provided are nucleic acids and vectors that collectively encode various gene products related to converting styrene to polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB). In some embodiments, the nucleic acids and vectors collectively encode a styrene monooxygenase polypeptide, a flavin reductase polypeptide, a styrene-oxide isomerase polypeptide, and a phenylacetaldehyde dehydrogenase polypeptide, an acetyl-CoA C-acetyltransferase polypeptide, a 3-ketoacyl-ACP reductase polypeptide, a class I poly(R)-hydroxyalkanoic acid synthase polypeptide, and optionally an influx porin polypeptide. Also provided are systems and methods for producing PHB from styrene, methods and systems for remediating polystyrene waste. In some embodiments, the systems are in vivo systems.

The disclosure provides programmable methylation “writers” and demethylation “erasers” for editing the methylation state of RNA targets, e.g., an RNA transcriptome. In particular, the disclosure provides RNA methylation editor polynucleotide contracts and vectors comprising (i) an RNA programmable RNA binding domain (RNApRNAbd); and (ii) an effector domain, wherein the effector domain is capable of adding or removing a methyl group in an RNA. The disclosed RNA methylation editor constructs are capable of achieving limited off-target modifications in RNA molecules. Further, the disclosure provides methods for making and using the programmable methylation editors to modifying the methylation state of RNA. The disclosure further provides complexes comprising a methylation writer protein and a guide RNA molecule and complexes comprising a demethylation eraser protein and a guide RNA molecule. The disclosure further provides pharmaceutical compositions and cells comprising the disclosed fusion proteins and complexes.

Some aspects of this disclosure provide compositions, methods, systems, and kits for controlling the activity of RNA-programmable endonucleases, such as Cas9, or for controlling the activity of proteins comprising a Cas9 variant fused to a functional effector domain, such as a nuclease, nickase, recombinase, deaminase, transcriptional activator, transcriptional repressor, or epigenetic modifying domain. For example, the inventive proteins provided comprise a ligand-dependent intein, the presence of which inhibits one or more activities of the protein (e.g., gRNA binding, enzymatic activity, target DNA binding). The binding of a ligand to the intein results in self-excision of the intein, restoring the activity of the protein.

Disclosed are compositions and methods for modulating cancer stem cells. More particularly, the present invention discloses the use of lysine demethylase (LSD) inhibitors and protein kinase C theta inhibitors (PKC-θ) for inhibiting the growth of LSD- and/or PKC-θ-overexpressing cells including cancer stem cells, for enhancing the biological effects of chemotherapeutic drugs or irradiation on cancer cells, for treating cancer, including non-metastatic and metastatic cancer and/or for preventing cancer recurrence.

The present invention relates to an alternative co-substrate of ketoglutaric acid-dependent dioxygenases for functional production and control of same, with the aim of achieving therapeutic effects against cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and age related diseases. Epigenetically induced diseases caused by dysregulation and in particular also by metabolic dysfunction in the citric acid cycle are likewise targeted by this therapy.

A method for identifying any of the presence, location and phasing of modified cytosines (C) in long stretches of nucleic acids is provided. In some embodiments, the method may comprise (a) reacting a first portion of a nucleic acid sample containing at least one C and/or at least one modified C with a DNA glucosyltransferase and a cytidine deaminase to produce a first product and/or reacting a second portion of the sample with a dioxygenase, optionally a DNA glucosyltransferase and a cytidine deaminase to produce a second product and; (b) comparing the sequences from the first and optionally the second product obtained in (a), or amplification products thereof, with each other and/or an untreated reference sequence to determine which Cs in the initial nucleic acid fragment are modified. A modified TET methylcytosine dioxygenase with improved efficiency compared to unmodified TET2 at converting methylcytosine to carboxymethylcytosine is also provided.

The present invention relates to treatment of cancer. In particular, the present invention relates to peptides that bind KDM5C for the treatment of cancer.

The present invention provides engineered proline hydroxylase polypeptides for the production of hydroxylated compounds, polynucleotides encoding the engineered proline hydroxylases, host cells capable of expressing the engineered proline hydroxylases, and methods of using the engineered proline hydroxylases to prepare compounds useful in the production of active pharmaceutical agents.