Patent ID: 7807817

Claim:
A catalytic DNA molecule having site-specific endonuclease activity specific for a nucleotide sequence defining a cleavage site in a preselected substrate nucleic acid sequence, said molecule having first and second substrate binding regions flanking a core region, wherein said first substrate binding region has a sequence complementary to a first portion of said preselected substrate nucleic acid sequence, said second substrate binding region has a sequence complementary to a second portion of said preselected substrate nucleic acid sequence, and said core region having a sequence according to the formula: (I.) T(stem)′AGC(stem)″Z, wherein said (stem)′ and (stem)″ are each three sequential nucleotides which when hybridized as a (stem)′:(stem)″ pair comprise three base pairs including at least two G:C pairs and wherein said Z=WCGR or WCGAA, and W=A or T and R=A or G.