Appeal No. 1997-2080
Application No. 08/159,939
pullulan to a heat treatment for a period of time and temperature effective to deactivate any
enzymes therein which decrease the molecular weight of the pullulan.
34. A method for producing substantially non-pigmented pullulan comprising the
steps of subjecting an isolated substantially biologically pure microbial culture selected
from the group consisting of A. pullulans ATCC 74100, A. pullulans ATCC 74101, A.
pullulans 74102, A. pullulans 74103, A. pullulans 74104, and A. pullulans 74105, and
mutants thereof, said mutants being capable of producing substantially non-pigmented
pullulan, said cultures being capable of reproducing themselves and of producing
substantially non-pigmented pullulan in isolatable amounts when cultured in a liquid
growing medium containing assimilable sources of carbon, nitrogen, and inorganic
substances to fermentation conditions in a fermentation broth and harvesting the pullulan
from the broth, wherein during the fermentation, after the pH of the fermentation broth has
stabilized, the pH is adjusted to about 7.0 and wherein after the substantially non-
pigmented pullulan is harvested, it is subjected to a heat treatment for a period of time and
temperature effective to deactivate any enzymes therein which decrease the molecular
weight of the substantially non-pigmented pullulan.
The examiner relies on the following references:
Kato et al. (Kato) 3,912,591 Oct. 14, 1975
Kelly et al. (Kelly), “The effect of Ethidium Bromide Mutagenesis on Dimorphism,
Extracellular Metabolism and Cytochrome Levels in Aureobasidium pullulans,” Journal of
General Microbiology, Vol. 102, pp. 249-254 (1977)
Shumin Na et al. (Shumin Na), “Screening of Strains Producing Nonpigmented
Extracellular Polysaccharides and Determination of their Products,” Weishengwuxue
Tongbao, Vol. 17, pp. 7-9 (1990)2
GROUNDS OF REJECTION
2It would appear from a review of the record that the examiner actually relies on an
eleven page English translation of this reference.
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