Abstract: RNA molecules for RNA interference to target a mutant allele with a point mutation, wherein the molecule has a nucleotide sequence complementary to a nucleotide sequence of a coding region of the mutant allele; and when counted from the base at the 5?-end in the nucleotide sequence complementary to the sequence of the mutant allele: a base at position 5 or 6 is mismatched with a base in the mutant allele; a base at position 10 or 11 is at the position of the point mutation and is identical to the base at the position of the point mutation in the mutant allele; the group at the 2?-position of the pentose in the ribonucleotide at position 8 is modified with OCH3, halogen, or LNA; and the group at the 2?-position of the pentose in the ribonucleotide at position 7 is not modified with any of OCH3, halogen, and LNA.

Abstract: RNA molecules for RNA interference to target a mutant allele with a point mutation, wherein the molecule has a nucleotide sequence complementary to a nucleotide sequence of a coding region of the mutant allele; and when counted from the base at the 5?-end in the nucleotide sequence complementary to the sequence of the mutant allele: a base at position 5 or 6 is mismatched with a base in the mutant allele; a base at position 10 or 11 is at the position of the point mutation and is identical to the base at the position of the point mutation in the mutant allele; the group at the 2?-position of the pentose in the ribonucleotide at position 8 is modified with OCH3, halogen, or LNA; and the group at the 2?-position of the pentose in the ribonucleotide at position 7 is not modified with any of OCH3, halogen, and LNA.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to provide novel RNA molecules, chimeric NA molecules, double-stranded RNA molecules, and double-stranded chimeric NA molecules. Specifically, an embodiment of the present invention is an RNA molecule for RNA interference to target a mutant allele with a point mutation, in which (1) the molecule has a nucleotide sequence complementary to a nucleotide sequence of a coding region of the mutant allele; and (2) when counted from the base at the 5?-end in a nucleotide sequence complementary to a nucleotide sequence of the mutant allele, (2-1) a base at position 5 or 6 is mismatched to a base in the mutant allele; (2-2) a position 10 or 11 corresponds to the position of the point mutation; and (2-3) a group at the 2?-position of a pentose at positions 6-8 or positions 7 and 8 is modified with, e.g., OCH3. In this RNA molecule, one or more ribonucleotides may be replaced by, e.g., a deoxyribonucleotide. The molecule may form a double-stranded RNA with a complementary strand.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for inhibiting expression of a target gene, which comprises introducing a cell, tissue, or individual organism with a double-stranded polynucleotide comprising DNA and RNA having a substantially identical nucleotide sequence with at least a partial nucleotide sequence of the target gene.

Abstract: In the present invention, a sequence segment conforming to the following rules (a) to (d) is searched from the base sequences of a target gene of RNA interference and, based on the search results, siRNA capable of causing RNAi is designed, synthesized: (a) The 3? end base is adenine, thymine, or uracil, (b) The 5? end base is guanine or cytosine, (c) A 7-base sequence from the 3? end is rich in one or more types of bases selected from the group consisting of adenine, thymine, and uracil, and (d) The number of bases is within a range that allows RNA interference to occur without causing cytotoxicity.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods whereby an RNAi activity and a miRNA activity can be evaluated simply and conveniently. The RNAi activity or the miRNA activity is evaluated by supplying a target-expressing molecule, which is a polynucleotide containing at least a target sequence and an expression regulatory region regulating the expression of an RNA containing the target sequence, and a subject nucleic acid molecule to be evaluated on whether or not it has RNAi activity on the RNA containing the target sequence into an expression system in which the target-expressing molecule can express the RNA containing the target sequence.

Abstract: In the present invention, a sequence segment conforming to the following rules (a) to (d) is searched from the base sequences of a target gene of RNA interference and, based on the search results, siRNA capable of causing RNAi is designed, synthesized, etc.: (a) The 3? end base is adenine, thymine, or uracil, (b) The 5? end base is guanine or cytosine, (c) A 7-base sequence from the 3? end is rich in one or more types of bases selected from the group consisting of adenine, thymine, and uracil, and (d) The number of bases is within a range that allows RNA interference to occur without causing cytotoxicity.

Abstract: An oligo- or polynucleotide for an RNA interference comprising a sense sequence, a trimming sequence, and an antisense sequence in this order is provided. In an example, the sense sequence is homologous to a part of a sequence of a target gene wherein a base in the nucleotide of 5? end is guanine, and a base in the nucleotide of 3? end is adenine, thymine, or uracil, the antisense sequence is complementary to the sense sequence and in the 7-bp-long region of the 5? terminal at least one base selected from the group consisting of adenine, thymine, and uracil is rich, and the trimming sequence comprises 5 to 52 nucleotides and is represented by the formula: (G or C)—X—Y-Z-(C or G) wherein the sense sequence, the trimming sequence, and the antisense sequence are consecutive, and this consecutive sequence does not comprise four or more consecutive nucleotides of which bases are thymine and/or uracil.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for inhibiting expression of a target gene, which comprises transfecting a cell, tissue, or individual organism with a double-stranded polynucleotide comprising DNA and RNA having a substantially identical nucleotide sequence with at least a partial nucleotide sequence of the target gene.

Abstract: Firefly luciferase gene for making use of the luminescence reaction of luciferase is provided.

Abstract: Nucleic acids coding for the flavin reductase of a luminescent bacterium, Xenorhabdus luminescens, vectors comprising such nucleic acids, host cells into which such vectors have been introduced, recombinant methods for producing substantially purified recombinant flavin reductase, and recombinantly produced flavin reductase and equivalent proteins produced in accordance with such methods are provided.

Abstract: A flavin reductase gene is provided having the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, wherein the sequence is displayed in numbered triplets of capital letters, which numbers proceed sequentially from left to right and from the 5' terminus to the 3' terminus; the sequence of capital letters represent the purine and pyrimidine bases of the nucleotide sequence, as follows:A is adenine; G is guanine; C is cytosine; T is thymine;R is A or G; Y is T or C; N is A, T, C, or G; H is A, C, or T; and M is A or C;wherein triplet number 237 thereof is TAA or TAG or TGA; and wherein further:for triplets numbered 13, 21, 22, 36, 63, 85, 92, 111, 112, 126, 140, 150, 156, 186, 196, and 228, if the 3' nucleotide of a triplet is A or G, then the 5' nucleotide of the triplet is T or C, or if the 3' nucleotide of a triplet is T or C, then the 5' nucleotide of the triplet is C; and if the 5' nucleotide of a triplet is C, then the 3' nucleotide of the triplet is A, T, C, or G, or if the 5' nucleotide of a triplet is T, then the 3' nu

Abstract: The present invention succeeds in isolating a gene encoding an enzyme having an FMN reducing activity and a nitroreductase activity derived from luminous bacteria Vibrio fischeri (ATCC 7744), elucidating its primary structure, and producing Escherichia coli which can express the gene in large quantities. That is, the present invention provides a gene encoding an enzyme having the flavin reducing activity and the nitro-reductase activity, an enzyme produced therefrom, a recombinant vector containing the gene, and bacteria containing the recombinant vector.