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Patent Application filed by Rhobio

RhoBio owns a patent for a method of in planta transformation using Agrobacterium.  According to the specification of this patent, the “target tissue” to be transformed “in its natural plant environment” is not limited to a particular tissue, but “may be any tissue which can be subsequently be placed in a tissue culture phase and a plant regenerated.”  Jursidictions where the patents are currently in force include, but are not limited to, Europe (see designated States below) and Australia.

Specific Patent Information

Patent Number Title, Independent Claims and Summary of Claims Assignee
EP 1171621 B1

  • Earliest priority – 19 April 1999
  • Filed – 19 April 2000
  • Granted – 7 December 2005
  • Expected expiry – 19 April 2020
 Title – Plant transformation method

Claim 1
A transformation method comprising inoculation and co-cultivation of a target tissue, from a target plant, with Agrobacterium, at a time when the target tissue is in its natural plant environment, followed by generation of a transgenic plant via dedifferentiation and regeneration of the target tissue, wherein said inoculation is performed by injection of Agrobacterium into said tissue, with minimal damages to said tissue.
Claim 3
A transformation method comprising inoculation and co-cultivation of a target tissue, from a target plant, with Agrobacterium, at a time when the target tissue is in its natural plant environment, followed by generation of dedifferentiated tissue from the target tissue, wherein said inoculation is performed by injection of Agrobacterium into said tissue, with minimal damages to said tissue.
Claim 16
Use of Agrobacterium in a transformation method comprising inoculation and co-cultivation of a target tissue, from a target plant, withAgrobacterium, at a time when the target tissue is in its natural plant environment, followed by generation of transgenic plant material via dedifferentiation of the target tissue, wherein said inoculation is performed by injection of Agrobacterium into said tissue, with minimal damages to said tissue.

The patent does not describe what consitutes “minimal damage” to a tissue

Designated States at the time of grant are: Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Cyprus, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden.

RhoBio
AU 775949 B2

  • Earliest priority – 19 April 1999
  • Filed – 19 April 2000
  • Granted – 19 August 2004
  • Expected expiry – 19 April 2020
 Title – Plant transformation method

Claim 1
A transformation method comprising inoculation and co-cultivation of a target tissue, from a target plant, with Agrobacterium, at a time when the target tissue is in its natural plant environment, followed by generation of a transgenic plant via dedifferentiation and regeneration of the target tissue, after isolation and culture of said target tissue, wherein said inolucation is performed by injection of Agrobacterium into said tissue, with minimal damage to said tissue.
Claim 3
A transformation method comprising inoculation and co-cultivation of a target tissue, from a target plant, with Agrobacterium, at a time when the target tissue is in its natural plant environment, followed by generation of dedifferentiated tissue from the target tissue after isolation and culture of said target tissue, wherein said inoculation is performed by injection of Agrobacterium into said tissue, with minimal damage to said tissue.
Claim 15
Use of Agrobacterium in a transformation method comprising inoculation and co-cultivation of a target tissue, from a target plant, withAgrobacterium, at a time when the target tissue is in its natural plant environment, followed by generation of transgenic plant material via dedifferentiation of the target tissue, after isolation and culture of said target tissue, wherein said inoculation is performed by injection ofAgrobacterium into said tissue, with minimal damage to said tissue.
WO 2000/63398

  • Earliest priority – 19 April 1999
  • Filed – 19 April 2000
  • OPI – 16 October 2000
 Title – Plant transformation method

Claim 1
A transformation method comprising inoculation and co-cultivation of a target tissue, from a target plant, with Agrobacterium, at a time when the target tissue is in its natural plant environment, followed by generation of a transgenic plant via dedifferentiation and regeneration of the target tissue.
Claim 3
A transformation method comprising inoculation and co-cultivation of a target tissue, from a target plant, with Agrobacterium, at a time when the target tissue is in its natural environment, followed by generation of dedifferentiated tissue from the target tissue.
Claim 14
Use of Agrobacterium in a transformation method comprising inoculation and co-cultivation of a target tissue, from a target plant, withAgrobacterium, at a time when the target tissue is in its natural environment, followed by generation of transgenic plant material via dedifferentiation of the target tissue.

The PCT application WO 0063398 (equivalent to the European application EP 1 171 621 A1) includes claims to:

  • a method to transform a plant tissue in vivo by inoculating and co-cultivating Agrobacterium cells with the tissue. The transformed tissue is separated from the plant and submitted to a dedifferentiation and regeneration process.
Remarks
  1. National phase entry of WO 2000/66398 in Canada (CA 2369428) is pending.
  2. National phase entry of WO 2000/63398 in China (CN 1347457) is reported as withdrawn on 22 September 2004.
  3. National phase entry of WO 2000/63398 in Japan (JP 2002541853) is pending.
  4. Other national phase entries include Bulgaria (BG 106105), Brazil (BR 200011140), Czech Republic (CZ 20013744), Hungary (HU 200200926), Israel (IL 145686), Poland (PL 351895), and the United States.

Note: Patent information on this page was last updated on 23 February 2006.