Zinc finger nucleases [1], [2], transcription activator - like effector nucleases [3], [4] and homing meganucleases [5] have provided powerful tools to induce targeted mutations in the form of small insertions or deletions derived from DNA break repair of
nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) or homologous recombination.
Typically, cells employ two main mechanisms to repair DSBs: homologous recombination (HR) and
classical nonhomologous end joining (C - NHEJ).
The patent describes a method for introducing DNA changes by causing breaks in the DNA using molecules dubbed chimeric restriction endonucleases and the subsequent cellular repair processes called homologous recombination and
nonhomologous end joining.
Typically, cells employ two classical mechanisms to repair DSBs: homologous recombination (HR) and
nonhomologous end - joining (NHEJ)(Figure 1A, green box).