that gives rise to all of the cells in an animal. A totipotent cell can give rise
to all of the cells of a developing cell mass when it is utilized in a procedure
for creating an embryo from one or more nuclear transfer steps. An animal
may be an animal that farictions ex utero. An animal can exist, for example,
as a live born animal. Totipotent cells may also be used to generate
incomplete animals such as those useful for organ harvesting, e.g., having
genetic modifications to eliminate growth of a head such as by manipulation
of a homeotic gene.
Strelchenko Application 09/357,445, Paper I (specification), p. 6, 11. 1-10.
F 51. Strelchenko's specification also distinguishes totipotent cells from pluripotent cells which
are differentiated and therefore do not have the ability to differentiate to form all the cells of
the animal:
The term "totipotent" as used herein is to be distinguished from the
term "pluripotent." The latter term refers to a cell that differentiates into a
sub-population of cells within a developing cell mass, but is a cell that may
not give rise to all of the cells in that developing cell mass. Thus, the term
"pluripotent" can refer to a cell that cannot give rise to all of the cells in a live
bom animal.
Strelchenkc, Application 09/357,445, Paper I (specification), pp. 6,1. 27 - p. 7,1. 2.
F 52. The ordinary meaning of "differentiation," as applied to organism development, refers to the
process in which descendent cells develop and maintain specialization of structure and
function not present in the ancestor cells. It is the process by which cells of an organism,
which begin as totipotent or unspecialized cells, become, through growth and cell division,
more specialized in structure and function and ultimately develop into the various cells,
tissues or organs of the mature animal '
F 53. Strelchenkc, also defines "differentiated cell," consistently with the ordinary meaning of the
phrase:
The term "differentiated cell" as used herein refers to a precursor cell that has
developed from an unspecialized phenotype to that of a specialized
phenotype. For example, embryonic cells can differentiate into an epithelial
cell lining the intestine. It is highly unlikely that differentiated cells revert
4 King et al, A Dictionary of Genetics Oxford University Press, New York, 1997; Oxford Dictiona
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Oxford University Press, New York, 1997; Paper 20, p. 3.
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