RNA-interference by single-stranded RNA molecules

1. Purified human RISC having a molecular weight of less than about 160 kDa, wherein said RISC is a ribonucleoprotein complex containing an RNA component and one member of the Argonaute family of proteins, and wherein said RNA component is a single-stranded RNA molecule which has a length of 19-29 nucleotides comprising at least one modified nucleotide analogue, which is selected from sugar-backbone- and nucleobase-modified ribonucleotides and combinations thereof.

2. The RISC of claim 1 wherein said one member of the Argonaute family of proteins is eIF2C1 or eIF2C2.

3. The RISC of claim 1 wherein the RNA molecule comprises at least one mismatch with the target transcript at the 3′-terminus.

4. The RISC of claim 1 , wherein said RNA molecule has a free 5′ hydroxyl moiety or a moiety selected from phosphate groups or analogues thereof.

5. The RISC of claim 4 , wherein said RNA molecule has a 5′-moiety selected from the group consisting of 5′-monophosphate ((HO).sub.2(O)P—O-5′), 5′-diphosphate ((HO).sub.2(O)P—O—P(HO)(O)—O-5′), 5′-triphosphate ((HO).sub.2(O)P—O—(HO)(O)P—O—P(HO)(O)—O-5′), 5′-guanosine cap (7-methylated or non-ethylated) (7m-G-O-5′-(HO)(O)P—O—(HO)(O)P—O—P(HO)(O)—O-5′), 5′-adenosine cap (Appp), and any modified or unmodified nucleotide cap structure (N—O-5′-(HO)(O)P—O—(HO)(O)P—O—P(HO)(O)—O-5′), 5′-monothiophosphate (phosphorothioate; (HO).sub.2(S)P—O-5′), 5′-monodithiophosphate (phosphorodithioate; (HO)(HS)(S)P—O-5′), 5′-phosphorothiolate ((HO).sub.2(O)P—S-5′); any additional combination of oxygen/sulfur replaced monophosphate, diphosphate and triphosphates, 5′-phosphoramidates ((HO).sub.2(O)P—NH-5′, (HO)(NH.sub.2)(O)P—O-5′), 5′-alkylphosphonates, and 5′-alkyletherphosphonates.

6. The RISC of claim 1 , wherein said RNA molecule is completely complementary to said target transcript.

7. A composition comprising the RISC according to claim 1 in combination with a pharmaceutical carrier.

8. The RISC according to claim 5 , wherein said sulfur replaced monophosphate, diphosphate or triphosphate is 5′-alpha-thiotriphosphate or 5′-gamma-thiotriphosphate, said 5′-alkylphosphonate is RP(OH)(O)—O-5′- or (OH)2(O)P-5′-CH.sub.2-), and said 5′-alkyletherphosphonate is RP(OH)(O)—O-5′-.

9. The RISC according to claim 1 , wherein said RISC has a molecular weight of 120-150 kDa.

10. The RISC of claim 1 , wherein said one member of the Argonaute family of proteins is selected from the group consisting of eIF2C3, eIF2C4, HILI and HIWI.

11. A method of enhancing RNAi in a cell or an organism comprising causing said cell or organism to overexpress the RISC according to claim 1 .