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Pineapple

Summary

The invention disclosed by DNA Plant Technology Corp. in a granted United States patent is directed to the transformation of embryogenic pineapple cells or pineapple callus with Agrobacterium having a T-DNA with a heterologous gene.

The recently granted Australian patent also uses an embryogenic cell or an embryogenic callus cell as a starting material for transformation.

In a recently filed PCT application, the Department of Primary Industries of Queensland (Australia) discloses methods for transforming pineapple cells and genetically modified pineapple by co-cultivating a pineapple explant with Agrobacterium having a gene of interest. Unlike the method used by DNA Plant Technology Corp., the transformed pineapple cells form an organogenic callus, which according to the applicants is easier and faster to obtain than an embryogenic callus.

Pineapple – Specific Patent Information

Patent Number Title, Independent Claims and Summary of Claims Assignee
US 5952543

  • Earliest priority – 25 February 1997
  • Filed – 24 February 1998
  • Granted – 14 September 1999
  • Expected expiry – 23 February 2018
 Title – Genetically transformed pineapple plants and methods for their production

Claim 1A method for modifying the genotype of a pineapple cell, said method comprising:

A) contacting said pineapple cell with Agrobacterium comprising a T-DNA containing a DNA segment, such that said DNA segment is integrated into the genome of said pineapple cell; and
B) selecting a pineapple cell comprising said integrated DNA segment wherein said pineapple cell is an embryogenic cell or an embryogenic callus cell.
Claim 11A method for modifying the genotype of a pineapple cell, said method comprising:

A) culturing pineapple tissue to produce pineapple embryogenic cells;
B) contacting said pineapple embryogenic cells with Agrobacterium comprising a T-DNA containing a DNA segment, such that said DNA segment is integrated into the genome of said pineapple cells; and
C) selecting a pineapple cell comprising said integrated DNA segment.

DNA Plant Technology Corp.
AU 740294 B2

  • Earliest priority – 25 February 1997
  • Filed – 25 February 1998
  • Granted – 1 November 2001
  • Expected expiry – 24 February 2018
 Title – Genetically transformed pineapple plants and methods for their production

Claim 1A method for modifying the genotype of a pineapple cell, said method comprising:

A) contacting said pineapple cell with Agrobacterium comprising a T-DNA containing a DNA segment, such that said DNA segment is integrated into the genome of said pineapple cell; and
B) selecting a pineapple cell comprising said integrated DNA segment wherein said pineapple cell is an embryogenic cell or an embryogenic callus cell.
Claim 11A method for modifying the genotype of a pineapple cell, said method comprising:

A) culturing pineapple tissue to produce pineapple embryogenic cells;
B) contacting said pineapple embryogenic cells with Agrobacterium comprising a T-DNA containing a DNA segment, such that said DNA segment is integrated into the genome of said pineapple cells; and
C) selecting a pineapple cell comprising said integrated DNA segment.
Claim 39A method for modifying the genotype of a pineapple cell, said method being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of the examples.
Claim 41A pineapple plant cell comprising an integrated Agrobacterium T-DNA sequence comprising a heterologous gene, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of the examples.
Claim 51A pineapple plant comprising an integrated Agrobacterium T-DNA sequence comprising a heterologous gene, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of the examples.

* Claims 1 and 11 of the Australian granted patent are the same as those of the United States patent. The three additional independent claims in this patent (claims 39, 41, 51) recite methods and transgenic pineapple plants stated in the examples of the specification.
WO 2001/33943 A1

  • Earliest priority – 5 November 1999
  • Filed – 3 November 2000
  • OPI – 17 May 2001
 Title – A method of plant transformation

Claim 1 – See below *
Claim 21 – See below *
Claim 41 – See below *
Claim 60A method of transforming cells of a pineapple plant or a related plant with genetic material, said method comprising: A) obtaining explant from said pineapple plant or a related species;
B) co-cultivating same with Agrobacterium species having T-DNA or T-DNA region comprising genetic material to be transformed into said pineapple plant cells for a time and under conditions sufficient for transfer of the genetic material to occur;
C) selecting for transformed pineapple or related cells and permitting the cells to form organogenic callus.
Claim 77A method of genetically modifying a pineapple or related plant, said method comprising: A) obtaining an explant from a pineapple or related plant to be genetically modified;
B) co-cultivating the explant with Agrobacterium species having a T-DNA comprising genetic material to be transferred into the pineapple or related cells for a time and under conditions sufficient for the genetic material to transfer to said cells;
C) selecting for transformed pineapple or related cells and permitting the cells to form organogenic callus; and
D) regenerating a pineapple or related plant from said selected transformed cells.

Method for transforming pineapple cells by co-cultivating an explant with Agrobacterium having T-DNA with genetic material to be transformed into the plant cells.

The selected transformed pineapple cells form an organogenic callus. A genetically modified pineapple plant is regenerated from the organogenic callus.

* The present application also contains claims (1, 21, 41) directed to methods for transforming monocot plants in general, which are discussed under the section General transformation methods.

Department of Primary Industries of Queensland
AU 779510 B

  • Earliest priority – 5 November 1999
  • Filed – 3 November 2000
  • Granted – 27 January 2005
  • Expected expiry – 2 November 2020
 Title – A method of plant transformation

Claim 1

A method of transforming cells of a pineapple plant with genetic material, said method comprising:-

(a) obtaining an explant from said plant;

(b) co-cultivating the explant with Agrobacterium species having a T-DNA or T-DNA region comprising the genetic material to be transformed into the plant cells for a time and under conditions sufficient for the genetic material to transfer into the plant cells without said Agrobacterium overgrowing the plant cells; and

(c) selecting for the tranformed plant cells and permitting the cells to form organogenic callus.
Claim 19

A method for producing a genetically modified pineapple plant, said method comprising:-

(a) obtaining explant from a plant to be genetically modified;

(b) co-cultivating the explant with Agrobacterium species having a T-DNA or T-DNA region comprising genetic material to be transformed into said plant cells for a time and under conditions sufficient for the genetic material to transfer to plant cells without said Agrobacterium overgrowing the plant cells;

(c) selecting transformed plant cells and permitting the cells to form organogenic callus; and

(d) then regenerating a plant from selected transformed plant cells.
Claim 37

A method for producing a genetically modified pineapple plant, said method comprising:

(a) obtaining an explant from said plant to be genetically modified;

(b) co-cultivating the explant with Agrobacterium species having a T-DNA or T-DNA region comprising the genetic material to be transformed into the plant cells for a time and under conditions sufficient for the genetic material to transfer into the plant cells without the Agrobacterium overgrowing the plant cells;

(c) selecting for the transformed plant cells and permitting the cells to form organogenic callus; and

(d) regenerating a plant from said transformed organogenic callus.

Granted independent claims in this patent recite the same method of pineapple transformation as claims 60 and 77 in WO 2001/33943, except that the plant is limited to pineapple only and not those of “related plants”.

Note: Patent information on this page was last updated on 7 February 2006.