Patent ID: 7527945

Claim:
A method for producing a forced-open promoter complex, wherein said forced-open promoter complex promotes an increase in transcription of a nucleic acid sequence of interest, said method comprising: (i) providing a circular supercoiled DNA comprising the sequence of interest, (ii) annealing to said DNA an oligonucleotide having a 5′ end, a 3′ end, and region linking the 5′ and 3′ ends, the 5′ end being complementary to a first region of the DNA that is upstream of said sequence of interest relative to the direction of transcription, and the 3′ end being complementary to a second region of the DNA that is contiguous to said first region; such that the 5′ and 3′ ends are annealed to adjacent bases of the DNA; and (iii) circularizing the 5′ end of said oligonucleotide to the 3′ end of said oligonucleotide to topologically link the oligonucleotide to the DNA, thereby producing a forced-open promoter complex and promoting transcription of said sequence of interest.