Ex parte BRIDGES et al. - Page 8




              Appeal No. 96-1027                                                                                           
              Application 08/162,288                                                                                       
              constructs whereas van der Krol and Hiatt, in contradistinction to the claims, use full length               
              constructs.                                                                                                  
                     Finally, only Hiatt uses DNA constructs to modulate fruit-ripening enzyme expression                  
              in plant cells.  The parties have disagreed as to whether Jorgensen teaches DNA                              
              constructs encoding proteins to inhibit ripening-enzymes.  However, considering that                         
              Jorgensen makes only a single mention of "ripening traits" as a trait, among many others,                    
              that potentially could be subject to the Jorgensen expression-reducing method (column 3,                     
              lines 53-57) and that the remaining disclosure is directed solely to affecting color changes                 
              in the plant, we agree with appellants that Jorgensen would not suggest to one of ordinary                   
              skill a more particular process by which a plant cell is transformed with a DNA construct                    
              coding for only a part of a fruit riping enzyme.  There is no dispute that van der Krol does                 
              not teach or suggest modifying gene expression of fruit-ripening enzymes.  Like                              
              Jorgensen, the van der Krol method is directed to flavonoid genes.                                           
                     Accordingly, each reference teaches a part of the claimed invention.  The claimed                     
              invention involves partial constructs and the modification of the expression of fruit-ripening               
              enzymes.  These two limitations are taught by Jorgensen and Hiatt, respectively.  However,                   
              we fail to find any reason in the the references to modify Jorgensen's partial constructs to                 
              modify expression of fruit ripening enzymes as taught by Hiatt.  In fact, given that Jorgensen               
              employs sense constructs while Hiatt employs anti-sense constructs in practicing their                       
              respective methods, and that there is no disclosure equating the use of antisense                            


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