Effects of mismatches distant from the target position on gene correction with a 5′-tailed duplex

The introduction of a 5′-tailed duplex (5′-TD) fragment into cells corrects a base-substitution mutation in a target DNA. We previously reported that the gene correction efficiency was improved when a frameshift type of second mismatch was present ∼330 bases distant from the target position, between the target DNA and the 5′-TD fragment. In this study, the effects of the second mismatches on the gene correction were further examined. Base–base mismatches 332 bases distant from the target position slightly enhanced gene correction, but less efficiently than the previously studied frameshift mismatches. The gene correction efficiency was also increased when the distance between the target position and the second frameshift mismatch was changed to ∼270 bases. These results suggested that the introduction of an appropriate second frameshift mismatch into the 5′-TD fragment improves the gene correction efficiency.