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.

Provided herein are compositions and methods for improving the genome-wide specificities of targeted base editing technologies.

Methods and kits are disclosed for measuring activity of a methyltransferase or a radical SAM enzyme or for screening for an inhibitor of a methyltransferase or a radical SAM enzyme, where the methods and kits comprise, respectively, deaminase TM0936 for a MTase coupled assay and deaminase PA3170 for a radical SAM coupled assay.

Engineered transversion base editors that enable expanded amino acid modifications and methods of using the same. Described herein, for example, are fusion proteins containing cytidine deaminases (e.g. human or rat APOBECs, pmCDA1 or AID) or adenosine deaminases (e.g. E. coli TadAs) or a combination thereof, catalytically impaired CRISPR-Cas proteins (e.g. Cas9, CasX or Cas12 nucleases), linkers, nuclear localization signals (NLSs) and a human or E. coli uracil-n-glycosylase (UNG) and/or REV1 protein that enable the CRISPR-guided programmable introduction of C-to-G and G-to-C transversions in DNA. The UNG may be fused to the deaminase-Cas fusion or not, in which case endogenous UNG may be recruited using molecular machinery that is integrated into the deaminase-Cas fusion architecture, e.g. using peptide or RNA aptamers or scFVs, sdABs or Fabs.

The disclosure provides novel personalized therapies, kits, transmittable forms of information and methods for use in treating patients having cancer, wherein the cancer is amenable to therapeutic treatment with an inhibitor, e.g., an inhibitor of any of the targets disclosed herein. Kits, methods of screening for candidate inhibitors, and associated methods of treatment are also provided.

Provided is a plant or plant part comprising a polynucleotide encoding a mutated TriA polypeptide. The expression of said polynucleotide confers to the plant or plant part tolerance to herbicides.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to a gene therapy approach for diseases, disorders, or conditions caused by mutation in the stop codon utilizing modified tRNA. At least 10-15% of all genetic diseases, including muscular dystrophy (e.g. Duchene muscular dystrophy), some cancers, beta thalassemia, Hurler syndrome, and cystic fibrosis, fall into this category. Not to be bound by theory, it is believed that this approach is safer than CRISPR approaches due to minimal off-target effects and the lack of genome level changes.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to a gene therapy approach for diseases, disorders, or conditions caused by mutation in the stop codon utilizing modified tRNA. At least 10-15% of all genetic diseases, including muscular dystrophy (e.g. Duchene muscular dystrophy), some cancers, beta thalassemia, Hurler syndrome, and cystic fibrosis, fall into this category. Not to be bound by theory, it is believed that this approach is safer than CRISPR approaches due to minimal off-target effects and the lack of genome level changes.

Disclosed herein are compositions, pharmaceutical compositions, and methods of use comprising an engineered polynucleotide that can be used to hybridize with a target RNA which may contain a nucleotide mismatch. Compositions and methods disclosed herein can be used to edit RNA to ameliorate or treat diseases or conditions in a subject.

Some aspects of this disclosure provide strategies, systems, reagents, methods, and kits that are useful for the targeted editing of nucleic acids, including editing a single site within the genome of a cell or subject, e.g., within the human genome. In some embodiments, fusion proteins of Cas9 and nucleic acid editing enzymes or enzyme domains, e.g., deaminase domains, are provided. In some embodiments, methods for targeted nucleic acid editing are provided. In some embodiments, reagents and kits for the generation of targeted nucleic acid editing proteins, e.g., fusion proteins of Cas9 and nucleic acid editing enzymes or domains, are provided.