NUCLEOTIDE-SPECIFIC RECOGNITION SEQUENCES FOR DESIGNER TAL EFFECTORS

1 . A method of repressing expression of a genomic locus of interest in a mammalian cell, comprising contacting the genomic locus with a non-naturally occurring or engineered composition comprising a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) binding polypeptide comprising:

(a) a N-terminal capping region

(b) a DNA binding domain comprising at least five or more Transcription activator-like effector (TALE) monomers and at least one or more half-monomers specifically ordered to target the genomic locus of interest, and

(c) a C-terminal capping region

wherein (a), (b) and (c) are arranged in a predetermined N-terminus to C-terminus orientation,

wherein the polypeptide includes at least one or more repressor domains, and

wherein the polypeptide is encoded by and translated from a codon optimized nucleic acid molecule so that the polypeptide preferentially binds to DNA of the genomic locus.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polypeptide includes at least one mSin interaction domain (SID) repressor domain.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the polypeptide includes at least four SID repressor domains.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polypeptide includes a Krüppel-associated box (KRAB) repressor domain or a fragment thereof.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the DNA binding domain comprises (X 1-11 -X 12 X 13 -X 14-33 or 34 or 35 ) z ,

wherein X 1-11 is a chain of 11 contiguous amino acids,

wherein X 12 X 13 is a repeat variable diresidue (RVD),

wherein X 14-33 or 34 or 35 is a chain of 21, 22 or 23 contiguous amino acids,

wherein z is at least 5 to 40, and

wherein at least one RVD is selected from the group consisting of NI, HD, NG, NN, KN, RN, NH, NQ, SS, SN, NK, KH, RH, HH, HI, KI, RI, SI, KG, HG, RG, SD, ND, KD, RD, YG, HN, NV, NS, HA, S*, N*, KA, H*, RA, NA, and NC, wherein (*) means that the amino acid at X 13 is absent.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein z is at least 10 to 26.

7 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein

at least one of X 1-11 is a sequence of 11 contiguous amino acids set forth as amino acids 1-11 in a sequence (X 1-11 -X 14-34 or X 1-11 -X 14-35 ) of FIG. 24 or at least one of X 14-34 or X 14-35 is a sequence of 21 or 22 contiguous amino acids set forth as amino acids 12-32 or 12-33 in a sequence (X 1-11 -X 14-34 or X 1-11 -X 14-35 ) of FIG. 24 .

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein

the N-terminal capping region or fragment thereof comprises 147 contiguous amino acids of a wild type N-terminal capping region, or

the C-terminal capping region or fragment thereof comprises 68 contiguous amino acids of a wild type C-terminal capping region, or

the N-terminal capping region or fragment thereof comprises 136 contiguous amino acids of a wild type N-terminal capping region and the C-terminal capping region or fragment thereof comprises 183 contiguous amino acids of a wild type C-terminal capping region.

9 . A method of selectively targeting a genomic locus of interest in an animal cell, comprising contacting the genomic locus with a non-naturally occurring or engineered composition comprising a DNA binding polypeptide comprising:

(a) a N-terminal capping region

(b) a DNA binding domain comprising at least five or more Transcription activator-like effector (TALE) monomers and at least one or more half-monomers specifically ordered to target the genomic locus of interest, and

(c) a C-terminal capping region

wherein (a), (b) and (c) are arranged in a predetermined N-terminus to C-terminus orientation,

wherein the polypeptide includes at least one or more effector domains,

wherein the polypeptide is encoded by and translated from a codon optimized nucleic acid molecule so that the polypeptide preferentially binds to DNA of the genomic locus,

wherein the DNA binding domain comprises (X 1-11 -X 12 X 13 -X 14-33 or 34 or 35 ) z ,

wherein X 1-11 is a chain of 11 contiguous amino acids,

wherein X 12 X 13 is a repeat variable diresidue (RVD),

wherein X 14-33 or 34 or 35 is a chain of 21, 22 or 23 contiguous amino acids,

wherein z is at least 5 to 40, and

wherein at least one RVD is selected from the group consisting of HH, KH, NH, NK, NQ, RH, RN, SS, SI, HG, KG, RG, RD, SD, NV, H*, HA, KA, N*, NA, NC, NS, RA, and S* wherein (*) means that the amino acid at X 13 is absent.

10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one RVD is selected from the group consisting of (a) HH, KH, NH, NK, NQ, RH, RN, SS for recognition of guanine (G); (b) SI for recognition of adenine (A); (c) HG, KG, RG for recognition of thymine (T); (d) RD, SD for recognition of cytosine (C); (e) NV for recognition of A or G; and (f) H*, HA, KA, N*, NA, NC, NS, RA, S* for recognition of A or T or G or C, wherein (*) means that the amino acid at X 13 is absent.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein

the RVD for the recognition of G is RN, NH, RH or KH; or

the RVD for the recognition of A is SI; or

the RVD for the recognition of T is KG or RG; and

the RVD for the recognition of C is SD or RD.

12 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the animal is a mammal.

13 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the effector domain is an activator domain, a repressor domain, a DNA methyltransferase domain, a recombinase domain or a nuclease domain.

14 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein at least one (X 1-11 -X 14-34 ) or (X 1-11 -X 14-35 ) is selected from FIG. 24 .

15 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein

the N-terminal capping region or fragment thereof comprises 147 contiguous amino acids of a wild type N-terminal capping region, or

the C-terminal capping region or fragment thereof comprises 68 contiguous amino acids of a wild type C-terminal capping region, or

the N-terminal capping region or fragment thereof comprises 136 contiguous amino acids of a wild type N-terminal capping region and the C-terminal capping region or fragment thereof comprises 183 contiguous amino acids of a wild type C-terminal capping region.

16 . A method of selectively targeting a genomic locus of interest in an animal cell, comprising contacting the genomic locus with a non-naturally occurring or engineered composition comprising a DNA binding polypeptide comprising:

(a) a N-terminal capping region

(b) a DNA binding domain comprising at least five or more Transcription activator-like effector (TALE) monomers and at least one or more half-monomers specifically ordered to target the genomic locus of interest, and

(c) a C-terminal capping region

wherein (a), (b) and (c) are arranged in a predetermined N-terminus to C-terminus orientation,

wherein the polypeptide includes at least one or more effector domains,

wherein the polypeptide is encoded by and translated from a codon optimized nucleic acid molecule so that the polypeptide preferentially binds to DNA of the genomic locus,

wherein the DNA binding domain comprises (X 1-11 -X 12 X 13 -X 14-33 or 34 or 35 ) z ,

wherein X 1-11 is a chain of 11 contiguous amino acids,

wherein X 12 X 13 is a repeat variable diresidue (RVD),

wherein X 14-33 or 34 or 35 is a chain of 21, 22 or 23 contiguous amino acids,

wherein z is at least 5 to 40, and

wherein at least one of the following is present

[LTLD] (SEQ ID NO: 1) or [LTLA] (SEQ ID NO: 2) or [LTQV] (SEQ ID NO: 3) at X 1-4 , or

[EQHG] (SEQ ID NO: 4) or [RDHG] (SEQ ID NO: 5) at positions X 30-33 or X 31-34 or X 32-35 .

17 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein the animal is a mammal.

18 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein the effector domain is an activator domain, a repressor domain, a DNA methyltransferase domain, a recombinase domain or a nuclease domain.

19 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein at least one RVD is selected from the group consisting of NI, HD, NG, NN, KN, RN, NH, NQ, SS, SN, NK, KH, RH, HH, KI, RI, HI, SI, KG, HG, RG, SD, ND, KD, RD, YG, HN, NV, NS, HA, S*, N*, KA, H*, RA, NA, and NC, wherein (*) means that the amino acid at X 13 is absent.

20 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein

the N-terminal capping region or fragment thereof comprises 147 contiguous amino acids of a wild type N-terminal capping region, or

the C-terminal capping region or fragment thereof comprises 68 contiguous amino acids of a wild type C-terminal capping region, or

the N-terminal capping region or fragment thereof comprises 136 contiguous amino acids of a wild type N-terminal capping region and the C-terminal capping region or fragment thereof comprises 183 contiguous amino acids of a wild type C-terminal capping region.