US 6,326,193 B1 · Insect control agent

Abstract

The invention includes an expression vector engineered to produce double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) within a pest to be controlled. The dsRNA inhibits expression of at least one gene within the pest, wherein inhibition of the gene exerts a deleterious effect upon the pest. For example, inhibition of the gene can lead to cessation of feeding, growth, or development and can cause death of the pest. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the expression vector is a recombinant baculovirus that transcribes sense and antisense RNA under the control of the baculovirus IE-1 promoter and hr5 enhancer. Preferred genes to be inhibited include essential genes, genes involved in neurotransmission, and genes that are targets for conventional pesticides. The invention discloses baculovirus transfer plasmids useful for producing the recombinant baculovirus. The invention further discloses methods and formulations involving the expression vector.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A recombinant baculovirus comprising:

a first promoter,
a second promoter,
a DNA segment whose sequence comprises at least one sequence at least 80% identical to a portion of the sequence of at least one insect gene,
wherein the portion of the sequence of the at least one insect gene is at least 50 nucleotides in length,
a first enhancer operably linked to the first promoter,
a second enhancer operably linked to the second promoter,
a first transcriptional terminator, wherein the first transcriptional terminator is positioned so as to terminate transcription directed by the first promoter,
a second transcriptional terminator, wherein the second transcriptional terminator is positioned so as to terminate transcription directed by the second promoter,
wherein the two promoters are operably linked to the DNA segment, and
wherein the promoters are oriented so as to direct transcription of both sense and antisense RNA transcripts from the DNA segment.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Insect control agent

Life of this patent

Insect control agent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22