Genome modification of pluripotent cells by using transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs)

Abstract

Interest is increasing in transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) as a tool to introduce targeted double-strand breaks into the large genomes of human and animal cell lines. The produced DNA lesions stimulate DNA repair pathways, error-prone but dominant non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and accurate but less occurring homology-directed repair (HDR), and as a result targeted genes can be modified. Here, we describe a modified Golden-Gate cloning method for generating TALENs and also details for targeting genes in mouse embryonic stem cells. The protocol described here can be used for modifying the genome of a broad range of pluripotent cell lines.