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Cotton

Summary

Five different entities have patents and patent applications related to methods for transforming cotton with Agrobacterium.

Agracetus (now owned by Monsanto) has been granted two patents in the United States and one in Europe, directed to transformation of immature cotton plants with A. tumefaciens. The Agracetus patents have the earliest priority date in the group of cotton transformation patents, dating back to 1986. The major aspects of the inventions are:

  • hypocotyl cotton tissue is selected for transformation;
  • at least two sequences including a foreign chimeric gene and a resistance gene are introduced into plants. The product of the foreign gene is, in one of the United States patents, either a foreign protein or a negative RNA stand; and
  • completely transformed plants are regenerated.

Calgene (also owned by Monsanto) has one United States patent related to this topic and recently a European and an Australian patent have also been granted. In both Agracetus’ and Calgene’s inventions hypocotyl cotton tissue is transformed with Agrobacterium. However, in contrast to Agracetus‘ inventions, Calgene claims any exogenous gene and Agrobacterium species. Other distinctive features of the invention by Calgene include the use of a cotton seedling grown in the dark as source material for the tissue to be transformed and the induction of embryogenic callus formation in a hormone-free medium.

Differing from those discussed above, Cotton Inc. and The Institute of Molecular Agrobiology (SG) disclose in their patent applications the use of meristematic cells of apical shoot tips of cotton, and cotton petiole and root callus, respectively, as tissues to be transformed with Agrobacterium.

Aventis CropScience (now Bayer Crop Science) and Bayer BioScience patents and applications disclose the use of cotton embryogenic callus as target tissue for transformation with Agrobacterium. The addition of a plant phenolic compound prior or during the transformation of the cotton tissue for vir gene induction constitutes a disclosed improvement of cotton transformation methodology. This group has the most recent priority date (19 May 1999) among the cotton transformation patents.

Cotton – Patents granted to Agracetus

Specific Patent Information

Patent Number Title, Independent Claims and Summary of Claims Assignee
US 5004863

  • Earliest priority – 3 December 1986
  • Filed – 3 December 1986
  • Granted – 2 April 1991
  • First reexamination (B1) – 8 December 1992
  • Second reexammination (B2) – 17 October 2000
  • Expected expiry – 1 April 2008
 Title – Genetic engineering of cotton plants and lines

Claim 1A method of introducing genes into cotton plants and plant lines comprising the steps of:

A) exposing hypocotyl tissue of immature cotton plants to a culture of transformation competent non-oncogenic Agrobacterium tumefaciens harboring a Ti plasmid having a T-DNA region including both a foreign chimeric gene and a selection agent resistance gene, both genes including appropriate regulatory sequences so as to be expressed in the cells of cotton plants;
B) culturing the exposed tissue in the presence of a selection agent for which the resistance gene encodes for resistance so as to select for plant cells transformed with the T-DNA region;
C) inducing somatic embryo formation in the exposed tissue in culture; and
D) regenerating the somatic embryos into whole cotton plants.
Claim 16A method for introducing genes into cotton plants and plant lines, comprising the following steps in sequence:

A) surface sterilizing cotton seeds;
B) allowing said cotton seeds to germinate thus forming immature cotton plants, said immature cotton plants including hypocotyl tissue;
C) exposing said hypocotyl tissue to a culture of transformation competent non-oncogenic Agrobacterium tumefaciens harboring a Ti plasmid having a T-DNA region including both a foreign chimeric gene and a selection agent resistance gene;
D) culturing said hypocotyl tissue on a medium containing at least one antibiotic toxic to said Agrobacterium tumefaciens but not toxic to cotton cells;
E) culturing said tissue of step (D) in the presence of a selection agent for which the resistance gene encodes for resistance so as to select for plant cells transformed with the T-DNA region;
F) inducing somatic embryo formation in the exposed tissue in culture; and
G) regenerating the somatic embryos into whole cotton plants.

Transformation of hypocotyl tissue of immature cotton plants with A. tumefaciens having a T-DNA with a chimeric gene and a resistance gene. Cotton plants are regenerated from somatic embryos induced from the transformed tissue. A protocol for the introduction of foreign T-DNA into cotton plants is also claimed.

Agracetus (now owned by Monsanto)
US 5159135

  • Earliest priority – 3 December 1986
  • Filed – 30 August 1990
  • Granted – 27 October 1992
  • First reexamination (B1) – 24 October 2000
  • Expected expiry -1 April 2008
 Title – Genetic engineering of cotton plants and lines

Claim 1Cotton seed capable of germination into a cotton plant comprising in its genome a chimeric recombinant gene construction including:

(i) a foreign gene, and
(ii) promoter and control sequences operable in cotton cells,

  • the chimeric gene construction being effective in the cells of the cotton plant to express a cellular product coded by the foreign gene;
  • the cellular product imbuing the plant with a detectable trait;
  • the cellular product selected from the group consisting of a foreign protein and a negative strand RNA.
Claim 5A cotton plant comprising in the genome of at least some of its cells a foreign gene construction including promoter and control sequences effective in cotton cells,

  • said gene construction further including a heterologous coding sequence;
  • the foreign gene construction effective to cause expression of a detectable cellular product coded by the heterologous coding sequence in the plant cells;
  • the cellular product selected from the group consisting of a foreign protein and a negative strand RNA.
Claim 6A cotton plant comprising in its genome at least two foreign gene constructions each including promoter and control sequences effective in cotton cells,

  • both gene constructions further including heterologous coding sequences;
  • both foreign gene constructions effective to cause the expression of a detectable cellular product coded by the heterologous coding sequence in the plant cells;
  • the cellular product of one of the foreign gene constructions selected from the group consisting of a foreign protein and a negative strand RNA;
  • the other foreign gene construction being a selectable marker gene which imbues the cotton cells with the trait of resistance to a selection agent.
Claim 7A cotton plant comprising in its genome at least two foreign gene constructions each including promoter and control sequences effective in cotton cells,

  • both gene constructions further including heterologous coding sequences;
  • both foreign gene constructions effective to cause the expression of a detectable cellular product coded by the heterologous coding sequence in the plant cells;
  • the cellular product of one of the foreign gene constructions selected from the group consisting of a foreign protein and a negative strand RNA;
  • the other foreign gene construction being a selectable marker gene which imbues the cotton cells with the trait of resistance to a selection agent;
  • the foreign gene constructions having been transformed into the cotton plant or the progenitors of the cotton plant by Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation.

Granted US 5159135 is a continuation of now granted US 5004863 (see above).

Transformation of cotton plants with two different foreign gene constructions via Agrobacterium. The first one contains either a foreign protein or a negative strand of RNA, and the second construction contains a resistance gene that acts as a selectable marker. Cotton plants containing both constructions are claimed.
EP 270355 B1

  • Earliest priority – 3 December 1986
  • Filed – 2 December 1987
  • Granted – 16 March 1994
  • Expected expiry – 1 December 2007
 Title – Genetic engineering of cotton plants and lines

Claim 1A method of introducing genes into cotton plants and plant lines comprising the steps of:

  • exposing hypocotyl tissue of immature cotton plants to a culture of transformation competent non-oncogenic Agrobacterium tumefaciens harboring a Ti plasmid having a T-DNA region including both

(i) a foreign chimeric gene, and
(ii) a selection agent resistance gene.
Claim 16Cotton seeds capable of germination into cotton plants comprising in their genome:

  • a chimeric gene construction including:
    (i) a foreign gene, and
    (ii) promoter and control sequences operable in plant cells,
    the chimeric gene construction being effective in the cells of the cotton plant to express a cellular product coded by the foreign gene.

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, Spain, France, United Kingdom, Greece (patent lapsed as reported by INPADOC), Italy, Liechtenstein (patent lapsed as reported by INPADOC), Luxembourg, Netherlands, Sweden (patent lapsed as reported by EPO)

As in US 5,004,863, hypocotyl tissue of immature cotton plants is transformed with A. tumefaciens having a T-DNA containing a chimeric gene and a resistance gene. Cotton seeds that give rise to transformed cotton plants expressing the product of foreign gene are also claimed.
Remarks
  1. Related patent application filed in Brazil (BR 8706530; application lapsed as reported by INPADOC), China (CN 87107233; application deemed to be withdrawn as reported by CNPO), India (IN 168950), and Australia (AU 28100/89; application lapsed as reported by IP Australia).

Note: Patent information on this page was last updated on 15 March 2006.

Cotton – Patents granted to Calgene

Specific Patent Information

Patent Number Title, Indpendent Claims and Summary of Claims Assignee
US 5846797

  • Earliest priority – 4 October 1995
  • Filed – 4 October 1995
  • Granted – 8 December 1998
  • Expected expiry – 3 October 2015
 Title – Cotton transformation

Claim 1In a method for regenerating transformed cotton plants from explant tissue, the improvement whereby embryogenic callus is generated from a transformed cotton tissue explant which is cultivated on cotton callus initiation media which is not supplied with exogenous plant hormones, wherein said explant tissue is hypocotyl tissue cut from a seedling which has been grown in the dark.
Claim 8A method for the transformation of cotton plants, said method comprising the steps of:

A) cutting cotton hypocotyl tissue to form an explant, wherein said hypocotyl tissue is cut from seedling which has been grown in the dark;
B) co-cultivating said cotton explant tissue with Agrobacterium comprising a DNA sequence of interest; and
C) culturing said co-cultivated explant on cotton callus initiation media comprising a selective agent and no exogenous plant hormones,
whereby transformed cells are induced to produce embryogenic callus on said hormone-free selective media.

Transformation of hypocotyl cotton tissue grown in the dark with Agrobacterium having a gene of interest. Embryogenic callus induced from the transformed tissue in a hormone-free medium regenerates into transformed cotton plants.

 Calgene (now owned by Monsanto)
EP 910239 B1

  • Earliest priority – 4 October 1995
  • Filed – 4 October 1996
  • Granted – 5 December 2001
  • Expected expiry – 3 october 2016
 Title – Transformation of cotton plants

Claim 1A method of regenerating cotton plants from explant tissue comprising generating embryogenic callus from a cotton tissue explant cultivated on cotton initiation media not supplied with exogenous plant hormones.
Claim 12A method for the transformation of cotton plants, said method comprising:

A) cutting cotton tissue to form an explant;
B) co-cultivating said cotton explant tissue with Agrobacterium comprising a DNA sequence of interst; and
C) culturing said co-cultivated explant on cotton initiation media comprising a selective agent and no exogenous plant hormones,
whereby transformed cells are induced to produce embryogenic callus on said hormone-free selective media.

Designated contracting States at the time of grant are: Austria (patent lapsed as reported by INPADOC), Belgium, Switzerland (patent lapsed as reported by INPADOC), Germany, Denmark (patent lapsed as reported by INPADOC), Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands (patent lapsed as reported by INPADOC), Portugal (patent lapsed as reported by INPADOC), Sweden (patent lapsed as reported by INPADOC)

Unlike the related United States patent, the cotton explant to be transformed with Agrobacterium is not defined. Any transformed cotton tissue is induced to produce embryogenic callus on a hormone-free medium.
AU 727910 B2

  • Earliest priority – 4 October 1995
  • Filed – 4 October 1996
  • Granted – 4 January 2001
  • Expected expiry – 3 October 2016
 Title – Transformation of cotton plants

Claim 1A method for regenerating transformed cotton plants from explant tissue, characterized by an improvement whereby embryogenic callus is generated from a transformed cotton tissue explant which is cultivated on cotton callus initiation media not supplied which is not supplied with exogenous plant hormones, wherein said explant tissue is hypocotyl tissue cut from a seedling which has been grown in the dark.
Claim 8A method for regenerating cotton plants from explant tissue, the method being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of the examples.
Claim 9A method for regenerating cotton plants from explant tissue, the method being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the ‘New’ Regime in Figure 1.
Claim 11A method for the transformation of cotton plants, the method comprising the steps of:

A) cutting cotton hypocotyl tissue to form an explant, wherein said hypocotyl tissue cut from a seedling which has been grown in the dark;
B) co-cultivating said cotton explant tissue with Agrobacterium comprising a DNA sequence of interest; and
C) culturing said co-cultivated explant on cotton callus initiation media comprising a selective agent and no exogenous plant hormones,
whereby transformed cells are induced to produce embryogenic callus on said hormone-free selective media.
Claim 14A method for the transformation of cotton plants, the method being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of the examples.

The claims of the Australian patent are substantially the same as the claims of the United States patent. In addition, the Australian patent refers to methods for regenerating cotton plants.
WO 1997/12512 A2

  • Earliest priority – 4 October 1995
  • Filed – 4 October 1996
  • OPI – 22 May 1997
 Title – Transformation of cotton plants

Claim 1
In a method for regenerating cotton plants from explant tissue, the improvement whereby embryogenic callus is generated from a cotton tissue explant which is not cultivated on cotton initiation media supplied with exogenous plant hormones.
Claim 12
A method for the transformation of cotton plants, said method comprising the steps of(a) cutting cotton tissue to form an explant,
(b) co-cultivating said cotton explant tissue with Agrobacterium comprising a DNA sequence of interest, and
(c) culturing said co-cultivated explant on cotton initiation media comprising a selective agent and no exogenous plant hormones, whereby transformed cells are induced to produce embryogenic callus on said hormone-free selective media.
Remarks Related patent application filed in China (CN 1198655; application deemed to be withdrawn as reported by CNPO) and Turkey (TR 9800654; national phase entry of WO 1997/12512).


Note: Patent information on this page was last updated on 15 March 2006.

Cotton – Patent applications filed by Cotton Inc.

Specific Patent Information

Patent Number Title, Indpendent Claims and Summary of Claims Assignee
AU 747514 B2

  • Earliest priority – 19 February 1998
  • Filed – 18 February 1999
  • Granted – 16 May 2002
  • Expected expiry – 17 February 2019
 Title – A method for the production of transgenic plants using apical shoot tips

Claim 1

A method for producing a transformed plant comprising,

1) isolating apical shoot tips from three day old seedlings;

2) chilling the isolated apical shoot tips for a sufficient period of time to slow the metabolic activity of cells and to accumulate the cells at a single stage of cell division or mitosis;

3) dissecting the apical shoot tips to expose meristematic cells;

4) introducing a transforming agent into the dissected apical shoot tips, wherein said transforming agent is a DNA molecule comprising a gene conferring a desired phenotypic trait to the plant; and

5) regenerating a transgenic plant from shoots which form on the meristematic cells.
Claim 19

A method for producing a transformed cotton plant comprising,

1) isolating apical shoot tips from three-day-old seedlings;
2) chilling the isolated apical shoot tips for a sufficient period of time to slow the metabolic activity of cells and to accumulate the cells at a single stage of cell division or mitosis;
3) dissecting the apical shoot tips to expose meristematic cells;
4) introducing a transforming agent into the dissected apical shoot tips, wherein said transforming agent is a DNA molecule comprising a gene conferring a desired phenotypic trait to the plant; and
5) regenerating a transgenic plant from shoots which form on the meristematic cells.
Claim 22

A transformed cotton plant produced by:

a) isolating aan apical shoot tip from a three day old cotton seedling;
b) chilling the isolated apical shoot tip for a sufficient period of time to slow the metabolic activity of cells and to accumulate the cells at a single stage of cell division or mitosis;
c) dissecting the apical shoot tip to expose meristematic cells;
d) exposing the dissected meristematic cells to a recombinant Agrobacterium comprising a gene conferring a desired phenotypic trait to a plant; and
e) regenerating a transgenic cotton plant from the shoot which form from the meristematic cells.
Claim 25

A method for producing a transformed cotton plant as is herein described in the detailed description.

Cotton Inc.
EP 1056334 B1

  • Earliest priority – 19 February 1998
  • Filed – 18 February 1999
  • Granted – 8 September 2004
  • Expected expiry – 17 February 2019
 Title – A method for the production of transgenic plants using apical shoot tips

Claim 1

A method for producing a transformed plant comprising,

a) isolating apical shoot tips from three-day-old-seedlings;
b) chilling the isolated apical shoot tips for a sufficient period of time to slow the metabolic activity of cells and to accumulate the cells at a single stage of cell division or mitosis;
c) dissecting the apical shoot tips to expose meristematic cells;
d) introducing a transforming agent into the dissected apical shoot tips, wherein said transforming agent is a DNA molecule comprising a gene conferring a desired phenotypic trait to the plant; and
e) regenerating a transgenic plant from shoots which form on the meristematic cells.
Claim 7
A method for producing a transformed cotton plant comprising,a) isolating apical shoot tips from three-day-old seedlings;
b) chilling the isolated apical shoot tips for a sufficient period of time to slow the metabolic activity of cells and to accumulate the cells at a single stage of cell division or mitosis;
c) dissecting the apical shoot tips to expose meristematic cells;
d) introducing a transforming agent into the dissected apical shoot tips, wherein said transforming agent is a DNA molecule comprising a gene conferring a desired phenotypic trait to the plant; and
e) regenerating a transgenic plant from shoots which form on the meristematic cells.

Designated contracting States at the time of grant are: Austria (patent lapsed as reported by INPADOC), Belgium, Switzerland (patent lapsed as reported by INPADOC), Cyprus, Germany (patent lapsed as reported by INPADOC), Denmark (patent lapsed as reported by INPADOC), Spain (patent lapsed as reported by EPO), Finland (patent lapsed as reported by EPO), France, United Kingdom, Greece (patent lapsed as reported by EPO), Ireland (patent lapsed as reported by INPADOC), Italy, Liechtenstein (patent lapsed as reported by EPO), Luxembourg, Monaco (patent lapsed as reported by EPO), Netherlands (patent lapsed as reported by INPADOC), Portugal, Sweden (patent lapsed as reported by INPADOC)

Granted EP 1056334 recites a method of producing a transformed cotton plant, the “transforming agent” of which is not limited to Agrobacterium.
WO 1999/041975 A1

  • Earliest priority – 19 February 1998
  • Filed – 18 February 1999
  • OPI – 26 August 1999
 Title – A method for the production of transgenic plants using apical shoot tips

Claim 1

A method for producing a transformed plant comprising,

1) isolating apical shoot tips from three day old seedlings;
2) chilling the isolated apical shoot tips;
3) dissecting the apical shoot tips to expose meristematic cells;
4) introducing a transforming agent into the dissected apical shoot tips; and
5) regenerating a plant from shoots which form on the meristematic cells.
Claim 23
A method for producing a transformed cotton plant comprising,1) isolating apical shoot tips from three day old seedlings;
2) chilling the isolated apical shoot tips;
3) dissecting the apical shoot tips to expose meristematic cells;
4) introducing a transforming agent into the dissected apical shoot tips; and
5) regenerating a plant from shoots which form on the meristematic cells.
Claim 27
A transformed cotton plant produced by:a) isolating an apical shoot tip from a three day old cotton seedling;
b) chilling the isolated apical shoot tip;
c) dissecting the apical shoot tip to expose meristematic cells;
d) exposing the dissected meristematic cells to a recombinant Agrobacterium comprising a gene conferring a desired phenotypic trait to a plant; and
e) regenerating a transgenic cotton plant from the shoots which form from the meristematic cells.
Remarks
  1. National phase entries of WO 1999/041975 in Canada (CA 2321044) and Japan (JP 2002/503487) are pending.
  2. Other national phase entry of WO 1999/041975 includes Israel (IL 137410).

Note: Patent information on this page was last updated on 15 March 2006.

Cotton – Patents owned and patent applications filed by The Institute of Molecular Agrobiology (now owned by Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory Ltd)

Specific Patent Information

Patent Number Title, Independent Claims and Summary of Claims Assignee
AU 782198 B2

  • Earliest priority – 11 June 1999
  • Filed – 11 June 1999
  • Granted – 7 July 2005
  • Expected expiry – 10 June 2019
 Title – High-efficiency Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of cotton using petiole explants

Claim 1
A method for producing a transgenic cotton plant comprising the steps of:(a) obtaining cotton petiole  explants,
(b) exposing the petiole explants to a culture of Agrobacterium tumefaciens that harbors a vector comprising an exogenous gene and a selectable marker, the Agrobacterium being capable of effecting the stable transfer of the exogenous gene and selection agent resistance gene to the genome of the cells of the petiole explant,
(c) culturing the petiole explants in medium containing plant hormones to induce callus formation,
(d) selecting transformed callus that expresses the exogenous gene,
(e) culturing the selected callus in suspension culture to induce formation of embryoids,
(f) regenerating the embryoids into whole transgenic cotton plants.

Granted AU 782198 recites an A. tumefaciens-mediated transformation method to produce transgenic cotton plants using the petiole explant.  Induction of callus formation requires “plant hormones”, the definition of which is unclear in the description. Dependent claim 17 recites use of 2,4-dichlorophenoxacetic acid (2,4-D) and kinetin as these plant hormones.

Institute of Molecular Agrobiology (now owned by Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory Ltd)
WO 2000/77230 A1

  • Earliest priority – 11 June 1999
  • Filed – 11 June 1999
  • OPI – 21 December 2000
 Title – High-efficiency Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of cotton using petiole explants

Claim 1
A method for producing a transgenic cotton plant comprising the steps of:(a) obtaining cotton petiole explants,
(b) exposing the petiole explants to a culture of Agrobacterium tumefaciens that harbors a vector comprising an exogenous gene and a selectable marker, the Agrobacterium being capable of effecting the stable transfer of the exogenous gene and selection agent resistance gene to the genome of the cells of the petiole explant,
(c) culturing the petiole explants to induce callus formation,
(d) selecting transformed callus that expresses the exogenous gene,
(e) culturing the selected callus in suspension culture to induce formation of embryoids,
(f) regenerating the embryoids into whole transgenic cotton plants.

Method for producing a transgenic cotton plant by exposing petiole explants to A. tumefaciens carrying a vector having a gene of interest. This is followed by induction of callus and embryoid formation and regeneration of a whole plant.
AU 777365 B2

  • Earliest priority – 10 March 1999
  • Filed – 10 March 1999
  • Granted – 14 October 2004
  • Expected expiry  – 9 March 2019
 Title – Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of cotton with novel explants

Claim 1
A method for producing a transgenic cotton plant comprising the steps of:(a) obtaining cotton fibrous root explants,
(b) culturing the fibrous root explants to induce callus formation,
(c) exposing root callus to a culture of Agrobacterium tumefaciens that harbors a vector comprising an exogenous gene and a selectable marker, the Agrobacterium being capable of effecting the stable transfer of the exogenous gene and selection agent resistance gene to the genome of the cells of the callus,
(d) culturing the callus in the presence of the selection agent to which the selection agent resistance gene confers resistance so as to select for transformed cells,
(e) inducing somatic embryo formation in the selected callus culture, and
(f) regenerating the induced somatic embryos into whole transgenic cotton plants,
wherein the cotton fibrous root explants in step (a) are obtained by growing cotton seedlings in the presence of multi-effect triazole.

Granted AU 777365 recites an A. tumefaciens-mediated transformation method for producing a transgenic cotton plant, where “multi-effect triazole” must be added in the growth medium of the cotton seedlings to obtain fibrous root explants.
WO 2000/53783 A1

  • Earliest priority – 10 March 1999
  • Filed – 10 March 1999
  • OPI – 14 September 2000
 Title – Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of cotton with novel explants

Claim 1
A method for producing a transgenic cotton plant comprising the steps of:(a) obtaining cotton fibrous root explants,
(b) culturing the fibrous root explants to induce callus formation,
(c) exposing root callus to a culture of Agrobacterium tumefaciens that harbors a vector comprising an exogenous gene and a selectable marker, the Agrobacterium being capable of effecting the stable transfer of the exogenous gene and selection agent resistance gene to the genome of the cells of the callus,
(d) culturing the callus in the presence of the selection agent to which the selection agent resistance gene confers resistance so as to select for transformed cells,
(e) inducing somatic embryo formation in the selected callus culture, and
(f) regenerating the induced somatic embryos into whole transgenic cotton plants.
Remarks
  1. National phase entries of WO 2000/77230 in China (CN1352692 A), Europe (EP1194579 A1) and Japan (JP2003502050T) are pending.
  2. Other national phase entries of WO 2000/77230 include Brazil (BR9917361 A) and Mexico (MXPA01012750 A).
  3. National phase entry of WO 2000/53783 in China (CN1240841) has been granted on 8 February 2006.
  4. National phase entry of WO 2000/53783 in Europe (EP1159436 A1) is pending.

Note: Patent information on this page was last updated on 15 March 2006.

Cotton – Patent application filed by Aventis CropScience (now Bayer BioScience NV)

Specific Patent Information

Patent Number Title, Independent Claims and Summary of Claims Assignee
AU 772686 B2

  • Earliest priority – 19 May 1999
  • Filed – 18 May 2000
  • Granted – 6 May 2004
  • Expected expiry – 17 May 2020
 Title – Improved method for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of cotton

Claim 1
A method for producing a transgenic cotton plant, comprising the step of

  • incubating Agrobacterium cells comprising a DNA fragment of interest operably linked to at least one T-DNA border with a plant phenolic compound capable of inducing increased vir gene expression in said Agrobacterium cells prior to or during the cocultivation of solid cotton embryogenic callus cultivated on solid media with said Agrobacterium cells.
Claim 2
A method for producing a transgenic cotton plant, said method comprising:a) cocultivating cotton embryogenic callus with Agrobacterium cells, said Agrobacterium cells comprising a DNA fragment of interest operably linked to at least one T-DNA border, in the presence of a plant phenolic compound capable of inducing increased vir gene expression in said Agrobacterium cells for a time sufficient to generate embryogenic callus comprising a transformed cotton cell; and
b) regenerating a transgenic cotton plant from said transformed cell.
Claim 10
A method for producing a transgenic cotton plant by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, characterised in that

  • Agrobacterium cells comprising a DNA fragment of interest operably linked to at least one T-DNA border are co-cultivated with solid cotton embryogenic callus cultivated on solid media in the presence of a plant phenolic compound capable of inducing vir gene expression in said Agrobacterium cells.
Claim 11
Use of a plant phenolic compound capable of inducing increased vir gene expression in said Agrobacterium cells for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of solid cotton embryogenic callus cultivated on solid media.

Granted AU 772686 recites an Agrobacterium-mediated method of producing a transgenic cotton plant, where “solid embryogenic callus” is cultured with a “plant phenolic compund” before or during Agrobacterium infection. According to the specification, “plant phenolic compounds … suitable for the invention are those substituted phenolic molecules which are capable to induce a positive chemotactic response, particularly those who are capable to induce increased vir gene expression in a Ti-plasmid containing Agrobacterium sp., particularly a Ti-plasmid containing Agrobacterium tumefaciens.“

 Aventis CropScience (now Bayer BioScience NV)
US 6483013

  • Earliest priority – 19 May 1999
  • Filed – 19 May 2000
  • Granted – 19 November 2002
  • Expected expiry – 19 May 2020
 Title – Method for Agrobacterium mediated transformation of cotton

Claim 1
A method for producing a transgenic cotton plant comprising the steps of:(A) incubating Agrobacterium cells comprising a DNA fragment of interest operably linked to at least one T-DNA border, with a plant phenolic compound capable of inducing increased vir gene expression in said Agrobacterium cells;
(B) co-cultivating solid cotton embryogenic callus cultivated on solid media with said Agrobacterium cells to generate embryogenic callus comprising a transformed cotton cell; and
(C) regenerating a transgenic cotton plant from said transformed cell; wherein said incubating step occurs prior to or during said co-cultivation step.
Claim 2
A method for producing a transgenic cotton plant comprising the steps of:(A) co-cultivating solid cotton embryogenic callus cultivated on solid media with Agrobacterium cells, said Agrobacterium cells comprising a DNA fragment of interest operably linked to at least one T-DNA border, in the presence of a plant phenolic compound capable of inducing increased vir gene expression in said Agrobacterium cells, for a time sufficient to generate embryogenic callus comprising a transformed cotton cell; and
(B) regenerating a transgenic cotton plant from said transformed cell.
Claim 10
A process for producing a transgenic cotton plant comprising:(A) co-cultivating solid cotton embryogenic callus cultivated on solid media, wherein said cotton embryogenic callus has not been generated from a cotton explant comprising transformed cells, with Agrobacterium cells in the presence of a plant phenolic compound capable of inducing increased vir gene expression in said Agrobacterium cells; said Agrobacterium cells comprising a DNA fragment of interest operably linked to at least one T-DNA border; wherein said Agrobacterium cells are cocultivated with said cotton embryogenic callus for a time sufficient to generate embryogenic callus comprising a transformed cotton cell; and
(B) regenerating a transgenic cotton plant from said transformed cell.
WO 2000/71733 A1

  • Earliest priority – 19 May 1999
  • Filed – 18 May 2000
  • OPI – 30 November 2000
 Title – Improved method for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of cotton

Claim 1
A method for producing a transgenic cotton plant, comprising the step of:

  • incubating Agrobacterium cells comprising a DNA fragment of interest operably linked to at least one T-DNA border with a plant phenolic compound prior to or during the cocultivation of cotton embryogenic callus with said Agrobacterium cells.
Claim 2A method for producing a transgenic cotton plant, said method comprising:

  • cocultivating cotton embryogenic callus with Agrobacterium cells, said Agrobacterium cells comprising a DNA fragment of interest operably linked to at least one T-DNA border, in the presence of a plant phenolic compound, for a time sufficient to generate embryogenic callus comprising a transformed cotton cell; and
  • regenerating a transgenic cotton plant from said transformed cell.
Claim 10A method for producing a transgenic cotton plant by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation comprising

  • co-cultivating Agrobacterium cells comprising a DNA fragment of interest operably linked to at least one T-DNA border with cotton embryogenic callus, characterized in that said cocultivating occurs in the presence of a plant phenolic compound.
Claim 11Use of a plant phenolic compound for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of cotton embryogenic callus.
Claim 13A method for producing a transgenic cotton plant by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation characterized in that Agrobacterium cells comprising a DNA fragment of interest operably linked to at least one T-DNA border are cocultivated with cotton embryogenic callus in the presence of a plant phenolic compound.

Methods for transformation of cotton embryogenic callus with Agrobacterium by incubating Agrobacterium cells with a plant phenolic compound. The incubation with the phenolic compound can be prior or during co-cultivation of the bacterium cells with the cotton tissue.
Remarks
  1. National phase entry of WO 2000/71733 in China (CN1234869C C) has been granted on 4 January 2006.
  2. National phase entry of WO 2000/71733 in Europe (EP 1183377 A1) is pending.
  3. Other national phase entries of WO 2000/71733 include Brazil (BR 0010749 A), Mexico (MXPA01011871 A), Turkey (TR200103311T T2), and South Africa (ZA 200109521 A).

Note: Patent information on this page was last updated on 16 March 2006.