Appeal No. 1996-0833
Application No. 08/230,879
October 5, 1995) and to the examiner’s supplemental answer (Paper No. 28, mailed
May 15, 1996) for the examiner’s reasoning in support of the rejection and to the appellants’ brief
(Paper No. 23, filed August 22, 1995) and to the appellants’ reply brief (Paper No. 26, filed
December 5, 1995) for the appellants’ arguments thereagainst.
THE INVENTION
Appellants’ claimed invention is directed to a process for producing dihomo-(-linolenic acid
(DGLA) or a lipid containing the same, using a mutated microorganism of the genus Mortierella having
an ability to produce arachidonic acid (ARA) and having reduced or lost )5 desaturation activity, such
that DGLA and ARA are produced at a ratio of at least 2.5 (DGLA/ARA) in the absence of a )5
desaturase inhibitor (brief, pages 2-3 and 8).
OPINION
Akimoto produces DGLA by culturing an ARA-producing microorganism, e.g., one belonging
to the genus Mortierella, in a medium containing sesame oil or peanut oil or an extract thereof, which
suppresses the production of ARA and increases the production of DGLA (abstract; col. 3, lines 55-
62). Idemitsu ‘494 produces DGLA by culturing a microorganism, e.g., one belonging to the genus
Mortierella, in a medium containing an alkoxy aromatic compound described in formula 1 or
curcumine, which inhibits the unsaturation reaction at a )5-position in a conversion reaction of DGLA
into ARA (abstract; page 2, lines 34-38; page 3, lines 49-50). Idemitsu ‘690 produces DGLA by
culturing a microorganism of the genus Conidiobolus in a medium containing sesame oil (page 3, first
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