Appeal No. 2004-2139
Application No. 09/181,601
each of the aforementioned rejections involves the rejection of said claim as being
obvious in view of the teachings of Wallace, Holm and Farber, we agree with the
appellants that said rejections can be considered together. Brief, p. 13.
To that end, we find that the references disclose the following:
1. Wallace discloses that databases such as PROSITE are well known for
identifying the biological function and tertiary (3-D) structure for unknown protein
sequences. Wallace, the abstract, p. 1001, col. 1, para. 1. Wallace further discloses
that the PROSITE database information, in combination with automatic sequence
alignment algorithms, enables swift assessment of an unknown protein sequences. Id.
Wallace still further discloses a method for automatically deriving the 3-D
structure of the proteins deposited in the Brookhaven Protein Data Bank (PDB).
Wallace, the abstract. Wallace still further discloses that “the development of databases
for 3-D templates, such as those that currently exist for protein sequence templates, will
help identify the functions of new protein structures as they are determined and pinpoint
their functionally important regions.” Id. Wallace exemplifies its method using the Ser-
His-Asp catalytic triad found in serine proteases and triacylglycerol lipases. Id., pp.
1004-1005. To that end, Wallace discloses the generation of 3-D coordinate templates
by first extracting all occurrences of interacting
Ser, His and Asp residues, catalytic and noncatalytic, and irrespective of conformation.
Id., p. 1004. Wallace further discloses distinguishing those Ser-His-Asp triplets that are
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