Self-limiting noctuids
AssigneeOxitec Limited
InventorsStephen Joyce, Nathan Rose, Kelly Matzen, Catherine Reavey, Lucy Broom, Adam Walker, Simon Warner, Neil Morrison
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention provides a Noctuid dsx splice cassette for expression of a gene of interest on a sex-specific basis, gene expression systems for imparting a self-limiting trait to transformed Noctuidae, as well as transgenic Noctuidae and methods of suppressing populations of Noctuidae and reducing, inhibiting or eliminating crop damage caused by the Noctuid insects.
Claims42
A splicing cassette for directing sex-specific splicing of a polynucleotide encoding a functional protein wherein the coding sequence of said functional protein is defined between a start codon and a stop codon, comprising in the following order:
- at least one Exon 2, or portion thereof, of a Noctuidae doublesex (dsx) gene;
- at least one Intron 2, or portion thereof, of a Noctuidae dsx gene, wherein said Intron 2 or portion thereof comprises a splice donor site and a splice acceptor site;
- at least one Exon 3, or portion thereof, of a Noctuidae dsx gene;
- at least one Exon 4, or portion thereof, of a Noctuidae dsx gene;
- at least one Intron 4, or portion thereof, of a Noctuidae dsx gene, wherein said Intron 4 or portion thereof comprises a splice donor site and a splice acceptor site;
- and
- at least one Exon 5, or portion thereof, of a Noctuidae dsx gene;
- and
- optionally further comprising at least one Exon 3a, or portion thereof, of a Noctuidae dsx gene between the at least one Exon 3 or portion thereof and the at least one Exon 4 or portion thereof;
- optionally further comprising at least one Intron 3, or portion thereof, of a Noctuidae dsx gene between the at least one Exon 3 or portion thereof and the at least one Exon 4 or portion thereof, wherein said Intron 3 or portion thereof comprises a splice donor site and a splice acceptor site;
- and
- optionally further comprising at least one Exon 4b, or portion thereof, of a Noctuidae dsx gene between the at least one Exon 3 or portion thereof and the at least one Exon 4 or portion thereof;
- wherein:
- a. a first splicing of an RNA transcript in males of said polynucleotide produces a first spliced mRNA product, which does not have a continuous open reading frame extending from said start codon to said stop codon;
- and
- b. an alternative splicing of said RNA transcript in females produces an alternatively spliced mRNA product which comprises a continuous open reading frame extending from said start codon to said stop codon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.