Appeal No. 2003-2146 Page 12
Application No. 09/546,143
conformation of a molecule is not the stereoisomer of the cis conformation of a
molecule. To the contrary, both the trans and the cis conformations of a
molecule may each have two stereo-isomers, +/- trans and +/- cis. For example,
for a trans molecule of the formula set forth in appellants’ claim 17, the two
enantiomers can be illustrated as follows:
HO C(O)OR3 HO C(O)OR3
N N
R4 R4
In contrast, for a cis molecule of the formula set forth in appellants’ claim
17, the two enantiomers can be illustrated as follows:
HO C(O)OR3 HO C(O)OR3
N N
R4 R4
Note, as the examiner explains (Answer, bridging sentence, pages 10-11), with
regard to compound 12, “both the –OH and the –C(O)OCH3 can be pointed
upward [ ] or downward [ ], and still have [a] cis-configuration.” These
compounds which are nonsuperimposable mirror images of one another are
called “enantiomers.” As can be seen from the illustrations, cis-enantiomers
differ from enantiomers in the trans-conformation.
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