A method for producing genetically engineered immune cells, e.g. T cells, or iPSCs which uses an RNA-scaffold mediated base editing system. The method enables precise modifications to be made to the genome whilst minimizing the possibility of off-target effects, making the method particularly suitable for therapeutic applications.

The present disclosure relates to base-editing systems including a fusion protein including a DNA-binding domain and a cytidine deaminase domain and a non-protein uracil-DNA glycosylase inhibitor, and methods of using the same. The DNA-binding domains of base-editing systems of the present disclosure include domains with a variety of target region possibilities, which increase the number and type of sequences that can be edited. The npUGIs of the base-editing systems of the present disclosure improve UDG inhibition (e.g., UDG inhibition is more complete) and are suitable for use in a wide range of organisms.

The present invention belongs to the field of plant genetic engineering. Specifically, the invention relates to a method for base editing in plants. More particularly, the invention relates to a method for performing efficient base editing to a target sequence in the genome of a plant (such as a crop plant) by a Cas9-cytidine deaminase fusion protein, as well as plants produced through said method and progenies thereof.

Some aspects of this disclosure provide compositions, 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 capable of inducing a cytosine (C) to guanine (G) change in a nucleic acid (e.g., genomic DNA) are provided. In some embodiments, fusion proteins of a nucleic acid programmable DNA binding protein (e.g., Cas9) and nucleic acid editing proteins or protein domains, e.g., deaminase domains, polymerase domains, and/or base excision enzymes 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 a nucleic acid programmable DNA binding protein (e.g., Cas9), and nucleic acid editing proteins or domains, are provided.

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 present invention relates to methods and compositions for modifying a target site in the genome of a cell. Fusion proteins including one or more DNA binding domains and one or more heterologous domains, such as DNA modifying domains, connected by improved linker sequences are provided. Codon optimized polynucleotides encoding fusion proteins including one or more DNA binding domains and one or more heterologous domains connected by improved linker sequences are provided.

The present disclosure provides for systems, methods, and compositions for targeting nucleic acids. In particular, the invention provides small Cas proteins and their use in modifying target sequences. In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a non-naturally occurring or engineered system comprising: a Cas protein that comprises a RuvC domain and a HNH domain, and is less than 850 amino acids in size; and a guide sequence capable of forming a complex with the Cas protein and directing the complex to bind to a target sequence.

Some aspects of this disclosure provide strategies, systems, reagents, methods, and kits that are useful for the targeted editing of nucleic acids or the modification of nucleic acids or proteins, 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 nucleic acid programmable DNA binding proteins e.g., GeoCas9 or variants thereof, and effector domains, e.g., deaminase domains, are provided. In some embodiments, methods for targeted nucleic acid editing or protein modification are provided. In some embodiments, reagents and kits for the generation of targeted nucleic acid editing proteins, e.g., fusion proteins of a GeoCas9 and effector domains, are provided.

The type V-U1 system from the bacterium Mycobacterium mucogenicum CCH10-A2 (Mmu) has a nuclease which binds dsDNA but it does not cleave it. Additionally, after dsDNA binding by the nuclease an RuvC-dependent interference of nascent transcript (mRNA) takes place and this mechanism has not been described before for any CRISPR system. CRISPR based gene manipulation can therefore use CRISPR endonucleases from the Type V-U1 system from Mycobacterium mucogenicum, including variant and modified endonucleases, so as to provide for methods of expression control and gene editing in cells of any living organism or of any nucleic acid in vitro.

Provided are a fusion protein that improves gene editing efficiency and an application thereof. The fusion protein comprises a single-stranded DNA binding protein functional domain, nucleoside deaminase and nuclease. According to CBEs, when carrying our base conversion from C-G to T-A, nucleoside deaminase such as cytosine deaminase carries out deamination by using single-stranded DNA as a substrate, and by re-fusing the single-stranded DNA binding protein functional domain on the fusion protein of the nucleoside deaminase and nuclease, the chance of single-stranded DNA being exposed to the nucleoside deaminase is greatly increased, thereby significantly improving base editing efficiency. The present disclosure provides a breakthrough improvement of single-base gene editing technology and can greatly promote the application thereof in aspects such as gene editing, gene therapy, cell therapy, animal model making, and crop genetic breeding.