New England Biolabs, Inc.

Sanjay Kumar

Rebecca B Kucera

Chudi Guan

George Tzertzinis

Rebecca Kucera

Claude V Maina

Compositions and methods are provided that relate to a modified DNA cleaving enzyme having at least 35% amino acid sequence identity with TEndo I. The modified enzyme includes two catalytic centers separated by a &#x3b2;-bridge where the &#x3b2;-bridge contains at least one mutation having an effect of altering enzyme cleavage activity compared to the unmodified enzyme. Activities associated with the modified DNA cleaving enzyme that can be modulated in different reaction conditions include at least one of: (a) non-sequence specific nicking activity; (b) cleaving the second strand of a duplex DNA at a preexisting nick site to produce a linear duplex with a single strand overhang; (c) non-sequence specific DNA cleavage; (d) cleaving DNA flanking a mismatch; and (e) cleavage at a cruciform structure in a DNA duplex.

Polynucleotides encoding modified DNA cleavage enzymes and host cells therefor

Compositions and methods are provided that relate to a modified DNA cleaving enzyme having at least 35% amino acid sequence identity with T7 Endo I. The modified enzyme includes two catalytic centers separated by a &#x3b2;-bridge where the &#x3b2;-bridge contains at least one mutation having an effect of altering enzyme cleavage activity compared to the unmodified enzyme. Activities associated with the modified DNA cleaving enzyme that can be modulated in different reaction conditions include at least one of: (a) non-sequence specific nicking activity; (b) cleaving the second strand of a duplex DNA at a preexisting nick site to produce a linear duplex with a single strand overhang; (c) non-sequence specific DNA cleavage; (d) cleaving DNA flanking a mismatch; and (e) cleavage at a cruciform structure in a DNA duplex.

Modified DNA cleavage enzymes and methods for use

Compositions and methods are provided for preparing an hsiRNA mixture and for silencing of gene expression in vivo. The composition relates to a mutant RnaseIII. The methods are directed to reacting a preparation of dsRNA with an effective amount of a mutant RNAse III to produce the hsiRNA mixture.

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Ipswich, MA, United States of America

Sanjay Kumar