US 12,410,417 B2
Modular extracellular sensor architecture for regulating genes
Joshua N. Leonard, Wilmette, IL (US); and Kelly A. Schwarz, Mooresville, NC (US)
Assigned to Northwestern University, Evanston, IL (US)
Appl. No. 16/343,987
Filed by Northwestern University, Evanston, IL (US)
PCT Filed Oct. 24, 2017, PCT No. PCT/US2017/057968
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 22, 2019,
PCT Pub. No. WO2018/081039, PCT Pub. Date May 3, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/411,895, filed on Oct. 24, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2019/0338262 A1, Nov. 7, 2019
Int. Cl. C12N 9/22 (2006.01); C12N 15/11 (2006.01)
CPC C12N 9/22 (2013.01) [C12N 15/11 (2013.01); C12N 2310/20 (2017.05)] 7 Claims
 
1. An exogenous extracellular sensor, comprising a target chain (TC) and a protease chain (PC),
wherein the TC comprises: a) a first scFv ligand binding domain, b) a first extracellular linker comprising 26-30 amino acids, c) a first transmembrane domain, d) a first intracellular linker comprising 2-6 amino acids, wherein the first two amino acids of the first intracellular linker are the first two amino acids of a tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease cleavage sequence, e) a protease cleavage site, and f) a functional domain comprising an RNA-binding subdomain fused to a transcription regulatory subdomain; and
wherein the PC comprises: a) a second scFv ligand binding domain, b) a second extracellular linker comprising 26-30 amino acids, c) a second transmembrane domain, d) a second intracellular linker comprising 2-6 amino acids, wherein the first two amino acids of the second intracellular linker are the first two amino acids of the TEV protease cleavage sequence, and e) a protease capable of cleaving the protease cleavage site of the TC.