Patent ID: 9433217
Filing Date: 2016-09-06
CPC Classification: A01N,C12N

Claim Text:
1. A method of integrating dsRNA into a plant cell to silence an endogenous target gene of a plant comprising: a) providing a formulation comprising a gene-specific dsRNA, water, and a plant hormone Brassinosteroid, wherein the Brassinosteroid is at 1.0 micromolar, and wherein the gene-specific dsRNA is derived from the endogenous target gene encoding a glutamine synthetase; b) applying the formulation to the leaf surface of a live plant, wherein the dsRNA is assimilated from the external leaf surface into cells of the plant leaf, wherein the silencing efficiency of the endogenous target gene is increased five to eight fold compared to a formulation containing the dsRNA without the plant hormone Brassinosteroid, and wherein the plant is a maize plant.