Flow cytometric assays for interrogating LAGLIDADG homing endonuclease DNA-binding and cleavage properties

A fast, easy, and scalable method to assess the properties of site-specific nucleases is crucial to -understanding their in cellulo behavior in genome engineering or population-level gene drive applications. Here we describe an analytical platform that enables high-throughput, semiquantitative interrogation of the DNA-binding and catalytic properties of LAGLIDADG homing endonucleases (LHEs). Using this platform, natural or engineered LHEs are expressed on the surface of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast where they can be rapidly evaluated against synthetic DNA target sequences using flow cytometry.