ISOLATED dsRNA MOLECULES AND METHODS OF USING SAME FOR SILENCING TARGET MOLECULES OF INTEREST

摘要

An isolated dsRNA molecule comprising an antisense RNA sequence for regulating a target gene of interest in a plant or a phytopathogen of the plant, wherein the dsRNA sequence is flanked by two complementary sites to an smRNA or smRNAs expressed in the plant and wherein the dsRNA molecule further comprises a helicase binding site positioned so as to allow unwinding of the strands of the isolated dsRNA molecule to single stranded RNA (ssRNA) and recruitment of an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase so as to amplify the dsRNA molecule in the plant cell and generate secondary siRNA products of the dsRNA sequence.

主权项

1. An isolated double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) molecule comprising
(a) a first RNA strand having
at least one antisense RNA sequence for suppressing expression of a target gene of interest in a plant or a phytopathogen of a plant,a first heterologous smRNA-binding sequence for binding to a first small RNA (smRNA) expressed in said plant or phytopathogen, anda helicase-binding sequence having a helicase binding site; and (b) a second RNA strand that is a reverse complement of said first RNA strand.