Soybean
Summary
The University of Toledo, Monsanto, Pioneer Hi-Bred and University of Mississippi collectively have several patents granted in the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe which are directed to Agrobacterium transformation of soybean (Glycine max).
The University of Toledo has both an Australian and a United States patent which claim a non-tissue culture process to transform meristematic or mesocotyl cells of a soybean seed. An Agrobacterium strain of any species is used for the transformation and can contain either an armed (with tumor-causing genes) or a disarmed vector. A related European patent additionally claims a method for transforming beans (Phaseolus vulgaris).
In the United States patents granted to Monsanto, a cotyledon from a soybean seedling or an embryonic axis are used for transformation with Agrobacterium containing a disarmed vector. Additionally they claim the insertion of a gene encoding for neomycin phosphotransferase II (nptII) and a gene encoding EPSPS. The first gene confers resistance to kanamycin and neomycin among other antibiotics, and the later confers resistance to the herbicide glyphosate.
A United States patent (US 6384301 B1) and published application (US 2002/0157139 A1) disclose a method for soybean transformation using a wounded embryonic axis isolated from germinating seed as target for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The explant is cultured in a medium containing a selection agent. The difference between the granted patent and the application is that in the patent application the wounding step is omitted, thereby providing an alternative protocol to obtain transgenic soybean plants.
In the European and Australian applications, Monsanto discloses a method to prepare a transformed germline of soybean starting with an embryonic axis of a soybean seed for transformation process.
The inventions disclosed by Pioneer Hi-Bred in patents granted in the United States (2), Australia (1) and Canada (1) use a hypocotyl or a cotyledonary node of a soybean seed transformed with any species of Agrobacterium. Detailed protocols for co-cultivation of a soybean explant with the bacterium are also claimed.
University of Mississippi owns a United States patent (US 5968830) on an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method of a hypocotyl soybean explant, which also recites a method of regenerating soybean via organogenesis.
Soybean – Patents granted to The University of Toledo
Specific Patent Information
Patent Number | Title, Independent Claims and Summary of Claims | Assignee | |
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US 5376543
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Title – Agrobacterium mediated transformation of germinating plant seeds
Granted US 5376543 has expired due to non-payment of maintenance fees as reported by USPTO. Production of a transgenic soybean plant through a non-tissue culture process. Meristematic or mesocotyl cells are inoculated with an armed or disarmed Agrobacterium vector having a gene of interest. The cells differentiate into a mature plant. |
University of Toledo | |
AU 648951 B2
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Title – Agrobacterium mediated transformation of germinating plant seeds
Granted AU 648951 recites the same process of producing a transgenic soybean plant in claim 1 as that of US 5376543 (see above). |
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EP 397687 B1
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Title – Agrobacterium mediated transformation of germinating plant seeds
Granted EP 397687 is a national phase entry of WO 1989/05859. 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). The method for producing a transgenic soybean plant is the same as the one disclosed in the related United States and Australian patents (above mentioned), but transformation of beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) is also included in the claims (see section on beans). |
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Note: Patent information on this page was last updated on 23 March 2006.
Soybean – Patents granted to and patent applications filed by Monsanto
Specific Patent Information
Patent Number | Title, Independent Claims and Summary of Claims | Assignee | |||
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US 5416011
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Title – Method for soybean transformation and regeneration
Transformation of a cotyledon of a soybean seedling by inoculation with a disarmed A. tumefaciens vector having a chimeric gene. As part of the invention, the chimeric gene encodes for npt II. |
Monsanto | |||
US 5569834
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Title – Method for soybean transformation and regeneration
United States granted patent US 5569834 is a divisional of now granted US 5416011 (see above). Method to obtain a soybean plant resistant to kanamycin via A. tumefaciens transformation. The explant for transformation is a cotyledon isolated from a soybean seedling. |
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US 5824877
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Title – Method for soybean transformation and regeneration
United States granted patent US 5824877 is a divisional of now granted US 5569834 (see above). As in the previous United States patents, a cotyledon explant is transformed by inoculation and co-cultivation with A. tumefaciens containing a gene encoding glyphosate resistance. |
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US 5959179
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Title – Method for transforming soybeans
A method for transforming a soybean cotyledon by inoculating into the axillary bud region a disarmed A. tumefaciens vector containing DNA of interest. |
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WO 1998/00557 A2
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Title – Methods of optimizing substrate pools and biosynthesis of poly-‘beta’-hydroxybutyrate-co-poly-‘beta’-hydroxyvalerate in bacteria and plants
PCT application WO 1998/00557 recites genes and methods for optimizing levels of substrates employed in the biosynthesis of copolymers of 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB) and 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV) in plants and bacteria using recombinant DNA technology. Claim 37 is one of the independent claims that recite a method to transform soybean using a disarmed A. tumefaciens containing DNA that is to be introduced. |
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US 6384301
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Title – Soybean Agrobacterium transformation method
A method for soybean transformation using a wounded embryonic axis isolated from germinating seed as a target for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The explant is cultured in a medium containing a selection agent. |
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US 7002058
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Title – Soybean transformation method
United States granted patent US 7002058 is a continuation of now granted US 6384301. An Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method of soybean, where the embryonic axis does not require wounding before it is exposed to a disarmed Agrobacterium in comparison to claim 1 of US 6384301 (see above), where wounding of the embryogenic axis is included in the transformation step. |
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US 2006/0059589 A1
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Title – Soybean transformation method
United States patent application US 2006/0059589 is a divisional of now granted US 7002058 (see above). Claims 1-10 in this application have been cancelled according to the publication. This application recites an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method of soybean, where cells in the meristematic tissue are exposed to a disarmed Agrobacterium. |
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WO 2000/42207 A2
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Title – Soybean transformation method
PCT application WO 2000/42207 recites an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method of soybean, where a wounded embryonic axis is exposed to a disarmed Agrobacterium. |
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Note: Patent information on this page was last updated on 24 March 2006.
Soybean – Patent applications filed by Monsanto
Actual pending claims
EP 1 141 346 A1* & AU 28488/00 |
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Claim 1A method of preparing a germline-transformed soybean plant using Agrobacterium mediation, the method comprising: A) initiating the germination of a soybean seed; B) isolating the embryonic axis from the soybean seed to prepare an explant; C) wounding the explant; D) exposing the explant to a disarmed Agrobacterium vector comprising a heterologous genetic construct including a selectable marker gene under conditions in which the heterologous genetic construct is transferred into at least one cell in the explant; E) culturing the explant in the presence of a selection agent in a manner capable of identifying soybean cells of the explant to which the heterologous genetic construct has been transferred; F) inducing formation of one or more shoots from the explant, the shoot comprising germline transformed cells; G) cultivating the shoot into a whole fertile mature soybean plant. |
* The PCT application WO 0042207 A2 was converted into the present European application.
Soybean – Patents granted to and patent applications filed by Pioneer Hi-Bred
Specific Patent Information
Patent Number | Title, Independent Claims and Summary of Claims | Assignee | |
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US 5563055
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Title – Method of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of cultured soybean cells
Transformation of cotyledonary nodes of soybean seeds in a medium containing A. tumefaciens, an auxin, and a signal molecule that induces virulence. Transformed tissue is subsequently selected. |
Pioneer Hi-Bred |
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AU 670316 B2
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Title – An improved method of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of cultured soybean cells
Transformation of a hypocotyl or a cotyledonary node of a soybean seed by co-cultivation with Agrobacterium in a medium having specific signal compounds that induce Agrobacterium virulence, in order to regenerate transgenic soybean plants. A divisional patent of now granted AU 670316 has also been granted (AU 691423 B2, expired 24 February 2005), however the claims do not recite an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method of soybean, but a method to regenerate soybean plants from cotyledonary nodes. |
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CA 2140910 C
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Title – An improved method of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of cultured soybean cells
Claims are the same as for the Australian patent AU 670316. |
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WO 1994/02620 A2
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Title – An improved method of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of cultured soybean cells
PCT application WO 1994/02620 recites a method to produce a transgenic soybean plant. |
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Note: Patent information on this page was last updated on 24 March 2006.
Soybean – Patent assigned to University of Mississipppi
Specific Patent Information
Patent Number | Title, Independent Claims and Summary of Claims | Assignee | |||
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US 5968830
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Title – Soybean transformation and regeneration methods
Transformation of a hypocotyl soybean explant by cultivation with Agrobacterium in a medium having a virulence-inducing signal and cytokinin. A method for regeneration of soybeans (G. max) via organogenesis is also disclosed. Additionally, the explant can be transformed by microbombardment. |
University of Mississippi |
Note: Patent information on this page was last updated on 27 March 2006.