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Patent and application assigned to Plant Genetic Systems (now Bayer Crop Science)

The invention disclosed in the United States patent assigned to Plant Genetic Systems uses an embryogenic callus of a cereal, any cereal, as starting material for transformation withAgrobacterium. The tissue is either wounded or treated with an enzyme prior to the transformation process.

Plant Genetic Systems is now part of Bayer Crop Science, for which a recent contact address from their website on licensing is annette.josten@bayercropscience.com.

Specific Patent Data

Patent Number Title, Independent Claims and Summary of Claims Assignee
US 6074877

  • Earliest priority – 23 November 1990
  • Filed – 28 May 1998
  • Granted – 13 June 2000
  • Expected expiry – 27 May 2018
 Title – Process for transforming monocotyledonous plants

Claim 1A process for the stable integration of a DNA, comprising a gene that is functional in a cell of a cereal plant, wherein said DNA is integrated into the nuclear genome of said cereal plant, said process comprising the steps of:

A) providing a compact embryogenic callus of said cereal plant;
B) wounding said compact embryogenic callus or treating said compact embryogenic callus with a cell wall degrading enzyme for a period of time so as not to cause a complete disruption of tissues, and transferring said DNA into the nuclear genome of a cell in said compact embryogenic callus by means of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation to generate a transformed cell; and
C) regenerating a transformed cereal plant from said transformed cell.

The United States patent 6074877 claims

  • Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of an embryogenic callus of a cereal, which is either wounded or treated with an enzyme that degrades cell walls;
  • introduction and stable integration of a gene into the nuclear genome of the callus cell;
  • regeneration of a transformed plant.

Plant Genetic Systems

(now Bayer Crop Science)
EP 955371 A2

  • Earliest priority – 23 November 1990
  • Filed – 21 November 1991
  • Granted as EP 955371 (see below)
 Title – Process for transforming monocotyledonous plants

Claim 1A method for the stable integration of a DNA comprising a gene that is functional in a cell of a cereal plant, into the nuclear genome of a cereal plant, said method comprising:

A) providing a compact embryogenic callus of a corn plant;
B) wounding and/or degrading said compact embryogenic callus and transferring said DNA in the nuclear genome of a cell in said compact embryogenic callus by means of electroporation, bombardment with DNA-coated microprojectiles or Agrobacterium-mediated transformation to generate a transformed cell; and optionally
C) regenerating a transformed cereal plant from said transformed cell.
Claim 18The use of compact embryogenic callus of a cereal plant as starting material for transferring a DNA comprising a gene that is functional in a cell of a cereal plant, by means of electroporation, bombardment with DNA-coated microprojectiles or Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, into the nuclear genome of said cereal plant.

The patent application EP 955371 A2 additionally recites the use of electroporation and microbombardment for the transformation of an embryogenic callus of a cereal or corn. The claims submitted in the EP application include:

  • the use of an embryogenic callus of a cereal as starting tissue for transformation;
  • transformation of the tissue by either electroporation, microbombardment or Agrobacterium infection;
  • the insertion of a functional gene into the genome of the transformed cereal; and
  • the transformation of an embryogenic callus of corn.
EP 955371 B1

  • Earliest priority – 23 November 1990
  • Filed – 21 November 1991
  • Granted – February 22 2006
  • Expected expiry – 20 November 2011
 Title – Process for transforming monocotyledonous plants

Claim 1
A method for the stable integration of a DNA comprising a gene that is functional in a cell of a cereal plant, into the nuclear genome of a cereal plant, said method comprising:

a) providing a compact embryogenic callus of a cereal plant;
b) wounding and/or degrading said compact embryogenic callus and transferring said DNA in the nuclear genome of a cell in said compact embryogenic callus by means of electroporation, bombardment with DNA-coated microprojectiles or Agrobacterium-mediated transformation to generate a transformed cell; and optionally
c) regenerating a transformed cereal plant from said transformed cell.
Claim 18
The use of compact embryogenic callus of a cereal plant as starting material for transferring a DNA comprising a gene that is functional in a cell of a cereal plant, by means of electroporation, bombardment with DNA-coated microprojectiles or Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, into the nuclear genome of said cereal plant.

Granted EP 955371 recites a method of cereal transformation that is not limited to Agrobacterium-mediated DNA transfer, but also includes electroporation and bombardment with DNA-coated microprojectiles.
Remarks
  1. The European application was assigned to Aventis CropScience N.V. on 7 June 2000.  This may now be assigned to Bayer Crop Science.
  2. A corresponding patent application in Canada (CA 2096843) is still pending.
  3. A corresponding patent in Japan (JP 3234598) has been granted with cereals limited to those of corn, wheat and rice.

Note: Patent information on this page was last updated on 8 March 2006.