Appeal No. 2005-1383
Application No. 09/364,847
Claims 1, 2 and 4-6 are representative of the subject matter on appeal and read
as follows:
1. A protein fusion having a formula selected from the group consisting of
E1-Ln-E2 and E2-Ln-E1, wherein E1 and E2 are expressed as catalytically
active enzymes which act on substrate in successive reactions in a
polyhydroxyalkanoate biosynthetic pathway and are each selected from
the group consisting of β-ketothiolases, acyl-CoA reductases,
polyhydroxyalkanoate synthases, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) synthases,
phasins, enoyl-CoA hydratases, and beta-hydroxyacyl-ACP:: coenzyme-A
transferases, in which linker Ln is a peptide of n amino acids that links the
carboxyl terminus of E1 to the amino terminus of E2 or the carboxyl
terminus of E2 to the amino terminus of E1.
2. The fusion of claim 1 wherein E1 and E2 are selected from the group
consisting of β-ketothiolase (phbA) and acyl-CoA reductase (phbB); phbB
and phbA; PHA synthase (phaC) and phasin (phaP); phaP and phaC;
phaC and beta-hydroxyacyl-ACP::coenzyme-A transferase (phbG); phbG
and phaC; phaC and enoyl-CoA hydratases (phaJ); and phaJ and phaC.
4. The fusion of claim 1 wherein the linker is comprised of glycine-serine.
5. The fusion of claim 1 expressed in a plant.
6. The fusion of claim 1 expressed in bacteria.
The references relied upon by the examiner are:
Peoples et al. (Peoples) 5,245,023 Sep. 14, 1993
Argos, “An Investigation of Oligopeptides Linking Domains in Protein Tertiary Structures
and Possible Candidates for General Gene Fusion,” J. Mol. Biol., Vol. 211, pp. 943-958
(1990)
Bülow et al. (Bülow), “Multienzyme Systems Obtained by Gene Fusion,” TIBTECH,
Vol. 9, pp. 226-231(1991)
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