Appeal No. 2006-0189 Page 2
Application No. 09/825,242
“The x-ray crystal structure of Zif268, a three-finger domain from a murine
transcription factor, has been solved in complex with a cognate DNA-sequence. . . . The
structure suggests that each finger interacts independently with DNA over 3 base-pair
intervals, with side-chains at positions -1, 2, 3 and 6 on each recognition helix making
contacts with their respective DNA triplet subsites.” Id.
“The structure of the Zif268-DNA complex also suggested that the DNA
sequence specificity of a zinc finger protein might be altered by making amino acid
substitutions at the four helix positions (-1, 2, 3 and 6) on each of the zinc finger
recognition helices.” Page 2.
The specification describes “methods of designing zinc finger proteins that bind
to a preselected target site. . . . The methods of design use a database containing
information about previously characterized zinc finger proteins. This information
includes names or other designations of previously characterized zinc finger proteins,
the amino acid sequence of their component fingers, and the nucleotide triplets bound
by each finger of the proteins. Information in the database is accessed using an
algorithm that allows one to select fingers from different previous designs for
combination in a novel zinc finger protein having specificity for a chosen target site.”
Page 13.
Discussion
1. Claim construction
Claims 35, 40, 48, 49, and 53 are on appeal. Claims 37, 38, 41-43, and 52 are
also pending; the examiner has indicated that these claims are allowable (Examiner’s
Answer, page 2).
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