The disclosure features compositions and methods for the treatment of sensorineural hearing loss and auditory neuropathy, particularly forms of the disease that are associated with mutations in otoferlin (OTOF), by way of OTOF gene therapy. The disclosure provides a variety of compositions that include a first nucleic acid vector that contains a polynucleotide encoding an N-terminal portion of an OTOF protein and a second nucleic acid vector that contains a polynucleotide encoding a C-terminal portion of an OTOF protein. These vectors can be used to increase the expression of OTOF in a subject, such as a human subject suffering from sensorineural hearing loss.

Methods and constructs for engineering circular RNA are disclosed. In some embodiments, the methods and constructs comprise a vector for making circular RNA, the vector comprising the following elements operably connected to each other and arranged in the following sequence: a.) a 5′ homology arm, b.) a 3′ group I intron fragment containing a 3′ splice site dinucleotide, c.) optionally, a 5′ spacer sequence, d.) a protein coding or noncoding region, e.) optionally, a 3′ spacer sequence, f.) a 5′ Group I intron fragment containing a 5′ splice site dinucleotide, and g.) a 3′ homology arm, the vector allowing production of a circular RNA that is translatable or biologically active inside eukaryotic cells. Methods for purifying the circular RNA produced by the vector and the use of nucleoside modifications in circular RNA produced by the vector are also disclosed.

The present invention provides reagents and methods for modulating cone photoreceptor activity, and devices for assessment of cone photoreceptor activity.

A new promoter comprising: (i) an hCMV enhancer sequence; (ii) an hCMV promoter sequence; (iii) a splice donor region; (iv) a cell-derived enhancer sequence; and (v) a splice acceptor region.

Methods and constructs for engineering circular RNA are disclosed. In some embodiments, the methods and constructs comprise a vector for making circular RNA, the vector comprising the following elements operably connected to each other and arranged in the following sequence: a.) a 5′ homology arm, b.) a 3′ group I intron fragment containing a 3′ splice site dinucleotide, c.) optionally, a 5′ spacer sequence, d.) a protein coding or noncoding region, e.) optionally, a 3′ spacer sequence, f) a 5′ Group I intron fragment containing a 5′ splice site dinucleotide, and g.) a 3′ homology arm, the vector allowing production of a circular RNA that is translatable or biologically active inside eukaryotic cells. Methods for purifying the circular RNA produced by the vector and the use of nucleoside modifications in circular RNA produced by the vector are also disclosed.

The present invention relates to an acceptor splice region, as well as uses and applications thereof.

Two or more conditional, dominant, lethal gene expression systems provide high levels of penetrance in insects. Lethality is induced at an earlier stage of development and the risk of biochemical resistance is reduced, as compared to a single insect conditional, dominant, lethal gene expression system. The invention is useful for the control of insect populations.

Methods and compositions for modifying the coding sequence of endogenous genes using rare-cutting endonucleases and transposases. The methods and compositions described herein can be used to modify the coding sequence of endogenous genes.

Described herein are compositions and methods for treating a patient having or at risk of developing a neurocognitive disorder, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and/or a frontotemporal lobar dementia. Using the compositions and methods of the disclosure, a patient, such as an adult human patient, may be provided one or more agents that elevate the expression and/or activity levels of a protein or series of proteins whose deficiency is associated with the corresponding disease. Exemplary agents that may be used in conjunction with the compositions and methods of the disclosure for this purpose include cells, such as cells, that contain nucleic acids encoding the protein or proteins of interest, as well as vectors, such as viral vectors, encoding the protein or proteins of interest. Additional examples of such agents include the protein or proteins themselves, as well as interfering RNA molecules that stimulate their endogenous expression.

Nucleic acid constructs and methods for rendering modifications to a genome are provided, wherein the modifications comprise null alleles, conditional alleles and null alleles comprising COINs. Multifunctional alleles (MFA) are provided, as well as methods for making them, which afford the ability in a single targeting to introduce an allele that can be used to generate a null allele, a conditional allele, or an allele that is a null allele and that further includes a COIN. MFAs comprise pairs of cognate recombinase recognition sites, an actuating sequence and/or a drug selection cassette, and a nucleotide sequence of interest, and a COIN, wherein upon action of a recombinase a conditional allele with a COIN is formed. In a further embodiment, action of a second recombinase forms an allele that contains only a COIN in sense orientation. In a further embodiment, action by a third recombinase forms an allele that contains only the actuating sequence in sense orientation.