IP Library Granted Patent US 12,297,435
Granted Patent B2
US 12,297,435 · App. 17/857,262 · Granted May 13, 2025

Mutations in

Inventors: Nathaniel Hunter Roberts (Iowa City, IA); Liyang Zhang (North Liberty, IA); Christopher Anthony Vakulskas (North Liberty, IA)
Assignee: Integrated DNA Technologies, Inc.
C12N15/52C12N9/22C12N15/111C12N2310/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,297,435
App. No.
17/857,262
Granted
May 13, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

This invention pertains to mutant Cas9 nucleic acids and proteins for use in CRISPR/Cas endonuclease systems, and their methods of use. In particular, the invention pertains to an isolated mutant Cas9 protein, wherein the isolated mutant Cas9 protein is active in a CRISPR/Cas endonuclease system, wherein the CRISPR/Cas endonuclease system displays increased on-target editing activity relative to a wild-type CRISPR/Cas endonuclease system. The invention also includes isolated nucleic acids encoding mutant Cas9 proteins, ribonucleoprotein complexes and CRISPR/Cas endonuclease systems having mutant Cas9 proteins that display increased on-target editing activity relative to a wild-type CRISPR/Cas endonuclease system.

Claims (20)

1. An isolated mutant Cas9 protein, wherein the isolated mutant Cas9 protein is active in a CRISPR/Cas endonuclease system, wherein the CRISPR/Cas endonuclease system displays increased on-target editing activity relative to a wild-type CRISPR/Cas endonuclease system having a wild-type Cas9 protein of SEQ ID NO:1, wherein the isolated mutant Cas9 protein comprises the double amino acid substitution D54A/R691A introduced into SEQ ID NO:1.

2. An isolated ribonucleoprotein complex, comprising:

a mutant Cas9 protein; and

a gRNA complex,

wherein the isolated ribonucleoprotein complex is active as a CRISPR/Cas endonuclease system, wherein the resultant CRISPR/Cas endonuclease system displays increased on-target editing activity relative to a wild-type CRISPR/Cas endonuclease system having a wild-type Cas9 protein of SEQ ID NO:1, wherein the mutant Cas9 protein comprises the double amino acid substitution D54A/R691A introduced into SEQ ID NO:1.

3. The isolated ribonucleoprotein complex of claim 2 , wherein the gRNA comprises a crRNA and a tracrRNA in stoichiometric ratio.

4. The isolated ribonucleoprotein complex of claim 3 , wherein the gRNA comprises:

an isolated crRNA comprises an isolated, synthetic crRNA directed against a specific editing target site for a given locus; and

the tracrRNA comprises an isolated, synthetic tracrRNA.

5. The isolated ribonucleoprotein complex of claim 3 , wherein the gRNA comprises a sgRNA.

6. An isolated nucleic acid encoding a mutant Cas9 protein, wherein the mutant Cas9 protein is active in a CRISPR/Cas endonuclease system, wherein the CRISPR/Cas endonuclease system displays increased on-target editing activity relative to a wild-type CRISPR/Cas endonuclease system having a wild-type Cas9 protein of SEQ ID NO: 1, wherein the mutant Cas9 protein comprises the double amino acid substitution D54A/R691A introduced into SEQ ID NO:1.

7. A CRISPR/Cas endonuclease system comprising a mutant Cas9 protein and a gRNA, wherein the CRISPR/Cas endonuclease system displays increased on-target editing activity relative to a wild-type CRISPR/Cas endonuclease system having a wild-type Cas9 protein of SEQ ID NO:1, wherein the mutant Cas9 protein comprises the double amino acid substitution D54A/R691A introduced into SEQ ID NO:1.

8. The CRISPR/Cas endonuclease system of claim 7 , wherein the CRISPR/Cas endonuclease system further comprises a DNA expression vector, wherein the mutant Cas9 protein is encoded by the DNA expression vector.

9. The CRISPR/Cas endonuclease system of claim 8 , wherein the DNA expression vector comprises a plasmid-borne vector.

10. The CRISPR/Cas endonuclease system of claim 8 , wherein the DNA expression vector is selected from a bacterial expression vector and a eukaryotic expression vector.

11. The CRISPR/Cas endonuclease system of claim 7 , wherein the gRNA includes a crRNA and a tracrRNA in stoichiometric ratio.

12. The CRISPR/Cas endonuclease system of claim 11 , wherein the crRNA comprises an isolated, synthetic crRNA directed against a specific editing target site for a given locus and the tracrRNA comprises an isolated, synthetic tracrRNA.

13. The CRISPR/Cas endonuclease system of claim 7 , wherein the gRNA comprises a sgRNA.

14. A method of performing gene editing having increased on-target editing activity, comprising:

contacting a candidate editing target site locus with an active CRISPR/Cas endonuclease system having a mutant Cas9 protein, wherein the active CRISPR/Cas endonuclease system displays increased on-target editing activity relative to a wild-type CRISPR/Cas endonuclease system having a wild-type Cas9 protein of SEQ ID NO:1, wherein the mutant Cas9 protein comprises the double amino acid substitution D54A/R691A introduced into SEQ ID NO:1.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 14, 2025
From: ROBERTS, NATHANIEL HUNTER; ZHANG, LIYANG; VAKULSKAS, CHRISTOPHER ANTHONY
To: INTEGRATED DNA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 070832/0956 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63217881 · Jul 2, 2021
Related Publication 20230203505A1 · Jun 29, 2023
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