Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

Bayer Cropscience Nv

Synthon Biopharmaceuticals B.v.

Grains Research and Development Corporation

Ming-Bo Wang

Peter Michael Waterhouse

Michael Wayne Graham

Robert Charles De Feyter

Lynn F Dickey

Kevin Cox

Robert Norman Rice

Charles G Peele

Timothy James Doran

Jonathan Paul Anderson

Neil A Smith

Daai Zhang

David Abbott

Lingling Gao

Neil Andrew Smith

Ian Kevin Greaves

Mark Tizard

Annapurna Devi Allu

The present invention relates to new double stranded RNA (dsRNA) structures and their use in gene silencing.

RNA molecules

Methods and means are provided for reducing the phenotypic expression of a nucleic acid of interest in eukaryotic cells by providing aberrant, preferably unpolyadenylated, target-specific RNA to the nucleus of the host cell. Preferably, the unpolyadenylated, target-specific RNA is provided by transcription of a chimeric gene comprising a promoter and a DNA region encoding the target-specific RNA.

Methods and means for obtaining modified phenotypes

Provided are methods and means to obtain improved gene silencing of target nucleic acids whereby at least two inhibitory RNA molecules are provided which are targeted to the same nucleic acid, but which are processed into short interfering RNA molecules through different processing pathways. Also provided are methods and means to obtain improved gene silencing of target nucleic acids whereby at least two inhibitory RNA molecules are provided which are targeted to different nucleic acids, but which are processed into short interfering RNA molecules through different processing pathways.

Gene silencing methods

Methods and means are provided for reducing the phenotypic expression of a nucleic acid of interest in eucaryotic cells, particularly in plant cells, by introducing chimeric genes encoding sense and antisense RNA molecules directed towards the target nucleic acid, which are capable of forming a double stranded RNA region by base-pairing between the regions with sense and antisense nucleotide sequence or by introducing the RNA molecules themselves. Preferably, the RNA molecules comprises simultaneously both sense and antisense nucleotide sequence.

Methods and means are provided for reducing the phenotypic expression of a nucleic acid of interest in eukaryotic cells, particularly in plant cells, by providing aberrant, preferably unpolyadenylated, target-specific RNA to the nucleus of the host cell. Preferably, the unpolyadenylated target-specific RNA is provided by transcription of a chimeric gene comprising a promoter, a DNA region encoding the target-specific RNA, a self-splicing ribozyme and a DNA region involved in 3' end formation and polyadenylation.

Methods for altering the N-glycosylation pattern of proteins in higher plants are provided. The methods comprise introducing into the plant a recombinant RNAi construct that provides for the inhibition of expression of &#x3b1;1,3-fucosyltransferase (FucT) and &#x3b2;1,2-xylosyltransferase (XylT) in a plant. Use of these RNAi constructs to inhibit or suppress expression of both of these enzymes, and isoforms thereof, advantageously provides for the production of endogenous and heterologous proteins having a 'humanized' N-glycosylation pattern without impacting plant growth and development. Stably transformed higher plants having this protein N-glycosylation pattern are provided. Glycoprotein compositions, including monoclonal antibody compositions, having substantially homogeneous glycosylation profiles, and which are substantially homogeneous for the G0 glycoform, are also provided.

Compositions and methods for inhibition of fucosyltransferase and xylosyltransferase expression in plants

Methods and means for efficiently downregulating the expression of any gene of interest in eukaryotic cells and organisms are provided. To this end, the invention provides modified antisense and sense RNA molecules, chimeric genes encoding such modified antisense or sense RNA molecules and eukaryotic organisms such as plants, animals or fungi, yeast or molds, comprising the modified antisense and/or sense RNA molecules or the encoding chimeric genes.

Modified gene-silencing RNA and uses thereof

Methods are provided for reducing the phenotypic expression of a nucleic acid of interest in plant cells, by providing aberrant, preferably unpolyadenylated, target-specific RNA to the nucleus of the host cell. Preferably, the unpolyadenylated target-specific RNA is provided by transcription of a chimeric gene comprising a promoter, a DNA region encoding the target-specific RNA, a self-splicing ribozyme and a DNA region involved in 3&prime; end formation and polyadenylation.

Growing community of inventors

Kaleen, Australia

Ming-Bo Wang