AAV1 SaCas9

Adeno-Associated Virus Serotype 1 (AAV1) exhibits high homology with other AAV serotypes. AAV1 efficiently transduces muscle tissue, as determined by a region of the capsid protein VP1 (amino acids 350 to 430) which functions as a major determinant of tissue tropism. Cas9 is an endonuclease enzyme that introduces a double stranded break into the DNA when recruited to a specific DNA sequence by the sgRNA (single guide RNA). This double stranded break is repaired in mammalian cells either through Non-Homologous End Joining or Homologous Recombination. Non-Homologous End Joining often results in the deletion or insertion of several base pairs at the cut site, which, when resulting in a frameshift, causes the functional inactivation of the gene. SaCas9 (Staphylococcus aureus CRISPR-associated protein 9) has demonstrated high cutting efficiency in mammalian cells, and its smaller size makes it ideal for packaging into AAV. SaCas9 recognizes a longer protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) site, 5'-NNGRRT-3', than the more traditional SpCas9 (Streptococcus pyogenes CRISPR-associated protein 9). These AAV particles constitutively express SaCas9 under the control of a CMV promoter.