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Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)

Summary

The University of Toledo has been granted three patents in the United States, Australia and Europe directed to the transformation of Phaseolus vulgaris (common beans) with Agrobacterium.

One of the distinctive features of the claimed intentions is a lack of regeneration of transformed bean plants in a tissue culture media. Mesocotyl cells of beans seedlings are inoculated with Agrobacterium and then the plant is allowed to grow normally. Note that the European patent claims transformation of Phaseolus vulgaris (common beans) as well as Glycine max (soybeans).

Specific Patent Information

Patent Number Title, Independent Claims and Summary of Claims Assignee
US 5169770

  • Earliest priority – 16 December 1988
  • Filed – 21 June 1990
  • Granted – 8 December 1992
  • Patent expired – 5 January 2005
 Title – Agrobacterium mediated transformation of germinating plant seeds

Claim 1
A non-tissue culture process for producing a transgenic plant, which process comprises:
(a) germinating a seed of a Phaseolus vulgaris plant for about 24 to 48 hours;
(b) inoculating the meristematic or mesocotyl cells produced by the germinating seed of step (a), prior to differentiation of said cells, with an armed or disarmed Agrobacterium strain containing an Agrobacterium-derived vector, said vector containing a transferable gene; and
(c) allowing the cells to differentiate into a mature plant.

Granted patent US 5169770 has expired due to non-payment of maintenance fees according to the USPTO.

University of Toledo
EP 397687 B1

  • Earliest priority – 21 December 1987
  • Filed – 16 December 1988
  • Granted – 11 May 1994
  • Expected expiry – 15 December 2008
 Title – Agrobacterium mediated transformation of germinating plant seeds

Claim 1
A non-tissue culture process for producing a transgenic plant, which comprises:

(a) germinating a seed of a Phaseolus vulgaris or Glycine max plant, for 24 to 48 hours;
(b) inoculating the meristematic or mesocotyl cells produced during germination, prior to differentiation of the seed, with a virulent or non-virulent Agrobacterium strain containing a transferable gene in an Agrobacterium-derived vector; and
(c) allowing the cells to differentiate into a mature plant.

Designated contracting States at the time of grant are: Austria (patent lapsed as reported by INPADOC), Belgium (patent lapsed as reported by INPADOC), Switzerland (patent lapsed as reported by INPADOC), Germany (patent lapsed as reported by INPADOC), France (patent lapsed as reported by INPADOC), United Kingdom (patent lapsed as reported by INPADOC), Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands (patent lapsed as reported by INPADOC), Sweden (patent lapsed as reported by INPADOC)
Remarks
  1. National phase entries of WO 1989/05859 in Australia (AU 633248 B2 and AU 648951 B2) have both ceased according to IP Australia.
  2. National phase entry of WO 1989/05859 in Japan (JP H04/501201) is deemed to be withdrawn.
  3. Other national phase entries of WO 1989/05859 include Denmark (DK 126690) and Kuwait (KR 154872).

Note: Patent information on this page was last updated on 10 March 2006.