IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,644,107
Granted Patent B2
US 12,644,107 · App. 17/880,160 · Granted Jun 2, 2026

Target-specific CRISPR mutant

Inventors: Young-Hoon Kim (Seoul, KR); Min Hee Jung (Seoul, KR); Joonsun Lee (Gangwon-Do, KR); Eunji Shin (Gyeonggi-do, KR); Kang In Lee (Seoul, KR); Seokjoong Kim (Seoul, KR); Jeongjoon Lee (Gyeonggi-do, KR)
Assignee: TOOLGEN INCORPORATED
C12N9/22C12N9/78C12N15/86
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,644,107
App. No.
17/880,160
Granted
Jun 2, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention relates to an artificially engineered CRISPR/Cas9 system. More particularly, the present invention relates to an artificially engineered CRISPR enzyme having enhanced target specificity and a use of an artificially engineered CRISPR/Cas9 system including the same enzyme in genome and/or epigenome manipulation or modification, genome targeting, genome editing, and in vitro diagnosis, etc.

Claims (37)

1 . A SpCas9 ( Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9) variant comprising:

all of SEQ ID NO:1 except for:

an aspartic acid at the position corresponding to position 203 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1;

a histidine at the position corresponding to position 277 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1;

a serine at the position corresponding to position 366 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1;

a serine at the position corresponding to position 539 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1;

an asparagine at the position corresponding to position 601 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1;

an asparagine at the position corresponding to position 890 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1;

a tyrosine at the position corresponding to position 965 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1;

a tyrosine at the position corresponding to position 1038 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1;

a glutamic acid at the position corresponding to position 1127 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1;

a serine at the position corresponding to position 539 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1, and an isoleucine at the position corresponding to position 763 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1;

a serine at the position corresponding to position 539 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1, and an asparagine at the position corresponding to position 890 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1;

a serine at the position corresponding to position 539 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1, and a tyrosine at the position corresponding to position 1038 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1;

an asparagine at the position corresponding to position 601 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1, and a tyrosine at the position corresponding to position 965 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1;

an isoleucine at the position corresponding to position 763 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1, and an asparagine at the position corresponding to position 890 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1;

an isoleucine at the position corresponding to position 763 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1, and a tyrosine at the position corresponding to position 1038 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1;

a tyrosine at the position corresponding to position 965 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1, and a tyrosine at the position corresponding to position 1038 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1;

a serine at the position corresponding to position 539 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1, an isoleucine at the position corresponding to position 763 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1, and a tyrosine at the position corresponding to position 1038 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1;

a serine at the position corresponding to position 539 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1, an isoleucine at the position corresponding to position 763 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1, an asparagine at the position corresponding to position 890 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1, and a tyrosine at the position corresponding to position 965 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1; or

a serine at the position corresponding to position 539 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1, an isoleucine at the position corresponding to position 763 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1, an asparagine at the position corresponding to position 890 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1, and a tyrosine at the position corresponding to position 1038 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1,

wherein the SpCas9 variant has an endonuclease activity.

2 . The SpCas9 variant of claim 1 , wherein the SpCas9 variant further comprises one or more functional domains selected from the group consisting of

a tag for isolation and purification;

a deaminase; and

an activity domain having methylase activity, demethylase activity, transcription activation activity, transcription repression activity, transcription release factor activity, histone modification activity, RNA cleavage activity, or nucleic acid binding activity.

3 . The SpCas9 variant of claim 1 , wherein the SpCas9 variant further comprises a reporter protein, a nuclear localization sequence or signal (NLS) or a nuclear export sequence or signal (NES).

4 . A composition for gene modification, comprising:

the Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9) variant of claim 1 , and

a guide RNA,

wherein the guide RNA is capable of targeting the interest gene and complexing with the SpCas9 variant.

5 . The composition of claim 4 , wherein the guide RNA and the SpCas9 variant form a complex which is a ribonucleoprotein (RNP).

6 . The composition of claim 4 , wherein the composition further comprises a donor nucleic acid that comprises a gene of interest.

7 . A composition for gene modification, comprising:

the Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9) variant of claim 1 , and

a nucleic acid encoding a guide RNA.

8 . The composition of claim 7 , wherein the composition comprises a vector comprising the nucleic acid encoding the guide RNA.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 3, 2022
From: KIM, YOUNG-HOON; JUNG, MIN HEE; LEE, JOONSUN; SHIN, EUNJI; LEE, KANG IN; KIM, SEOKJOONG; LEE, JEONGJOON
To: TOOLGEN INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 060710/0060 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 16628199
Provisional Application 62608722 · Dec 21, 2017
Provisional Application 62529601 · Jul 7, 2017
Related Publication 20230130858A1 · Apr 27, 2023
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