Patents Examined by Stephen Uyeno
  • Patent number: 8921655
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of functional analysis of Jatropha genes on a genomic scale. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for high-throughtput functional analysis of Jatropha curcas genes on a genomic scale using virus-induced gene silencing. The method involves use of the tobacco rattle virus (TRV).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Joil (S) Pte Ltd.
    Inventors: Jian Ye, Nam Hai Chua, Jing Qu
  • Patent number: 8912145
    Abstract: A vaccine composition for prophylaxis and/or therapy of Alzheimer's disease, which comprises a fusion protein prepared by inserting a single or tandemly repeated multiple copies of amyloid ? antigenic peptide having 5 to 15 continuous amino acid residues derived from the N-terminus of amyloid ? peptide into a wild type seed storage protein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Hokko Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Teruhiko Terakawa, Hisakazu Hasegawa, Yasushi Shimada, Atsushi Takahashi, Takeshi Kawarabayashi, Mikio Shoji
  • Patent number: 8907164
    Abstract: The invention provides coding and promoter sequences for a VS-1 and AP-2 gene, which affects the developmental process of senescence in plants. Vectors, transgenic plants, seeds, and host cells comprising heterologous VS-1 and AP-2 genes are also provided. Additionally provided are methods of altering nutrient allocation and composition in a plant using the VS-1 and AP-2 genes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundations, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Udvardi, Jiading Yang, Eric Worley
  • Patent number: 8846052
    Abstract: A bacterial toxin protein such as a Shiga toxin protein is efficiently produced using plant cells. The plant cells are transformed using a DNA construct containing DNA encoding a hybrid protein in which the bacterial toxin proteins such as the Shiga toxin proteins are tandemly linked through a peptide having the following characteristics (A) and (B) to produce the bacterial toxin protein in the plant cells: (A) a number of amino acids is 12 to 30; and (B) a content of proline is 20 to 35%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignees: Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd., National University Corporation Nara Institute of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Kazutoshi Sawada, Takeshi Matsui, Mayumi Yoshida, Nobuo Yoshida, Kyoko Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8771703
    Abstract: The present invention provides a recombinant soluble trimeric hemagglutinin (rHA) protein comprising a hemagglutinin ectodomain and an oligomerization domain. The rHA is produced as a soluble homotrimer, and may further comprises a signal peptide and/or an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) retention signal. The invention is also directed to nucleic acids encoding the rHA of the invention, as well as vectors and chimeric constructs comprising the nucleic acid. Methods of producing the rHA are also provided. The rHA described herein may be used to formulate influenza vaccines, or may be used to enrich existing vaccines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Medicago Inc.
    Inventors: Manon Couture, Nathalie Landry, Louis-Philippe Vezina, Michéle Dargis
  • Patent number: 8759613
    Abstract: A method of producing a lunasin polypeptide in a plant includes expressing a fusion protein including the lunasin polypeptide in the plant and cleaving the lunasin polypeptide from the fusion protein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: University of Louisville Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Keith R. Davis, Brian Barnett, Lauren Seber
  • Patent number: 8735653
    Abstract: Compositions and methods are described which use RAV proteins and genes that encode such proteins to regulate RNA silencing in plant cells. Novel ntRAV proteins and genes are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: University of South Carolina
    Inventors: Vicki Bowman Vance, Lewis H. Bowman, Matthew W. Endres
  • Patent number: 8728761
    Abstract: Transformed microalgae capable of expressing glycosylated polypeptides and methods for producing said transformed microalgae and producing glycosylated polypeptides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignees: Institut Francais de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique—CNRS, Universite de Rouen
    Inventors: Jean-Paul Cadoret, Aude Carlier, Patrice Lerouge, Muriel Bardor, Carole Burel, Florian Maury
  • Patent number: 8697949
    Abstract: This invention provides molecular constructs and methods for the temporally specific control of gene expression in plants or in plant pests or pathogens. More specifically, this invention provides plant miRNA genes having novel circadian expression patterns that are useful for designing recombinant DNA constructs for temporally specific expression of at least one gene. Also provided are non-natural transgenic plant cells, plants, and seeds containing in their genome a recombinant DNA construct of this invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Monsanto Technology LLC
    Inventors: Edwards Allen, Sara E. Heisel, Sergey Ivashuta, Elysia Krieger, Jennifer Lutke, Robert J. Meister, Yuanji Zhang
  • Patent number: 8637735
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for obtaining a plant with increased stress resistance relative to a wild-type plant, comprising: (a) introducing at least one mutation or exogenous nucleic acid into the genome of one or more plant cells which results in reduced activity associated with SAL1 or a homologue thereof in said one or more plant cells; (b) regenerating one or more plants from said one or more plant cells; and (c) selecting one or more plants that have increased stress resistance relative to a wild-type plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: The Australian National University
    Inventors: Barry James Pogson, Philippa Bronwyn Wilson, Jan Bart Rossel
  • Patent number: 8617575
    Abstract: Immunity against protozoan is conferred on an animal by a method comprising orally administering to an animal a transformed plant cell comprising a polynucleotide encoding a protective antigen against protozoiasis development, a transformed plant or its progeny or clone comprising the transformed cell, a propagation material of the plant or its progeny or clone, a processed material or extract of the above cell, plant, or its progeny or clone, or propagation material, or a protective antigen against protozoiasis development isolated from the transformed plant cell or the transformed plant or its progeny or clone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignees: Kitasato Daiichi Sankyo Vaccine Co., Ltd., National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
    Inventors: Akira Ito, Toru Gotanda, Shigeki Kobayashi, Katsumi Kume, Takeshi Matsumura
  • Patent number: 8597950
    Abstract: A process for replicating or for replicating and expressing a sequence of interest in a plant, comprising: (i) an RNA replicon or a precursor thereof, said RNA replicon being derived from a plus-sense single stranded RNA virus and comprising at least one sequence of interest; and (ii) a helper replicon, or a precursor thereof, wherein said helper replicon is (a) incapable of systemic movement in said plant both in the presence and in the absence of said RNA replicon (i) and (b) capable of expressing in a plant one or more proteins necessary for systemic movement of said RNA replicon (i), whereby said RNA replicon (i) is capable of replicating or replicating and expressing said sequence of interest in said plant, but unable to move systemically in said plant in the absence of said one or more proteins expressed by said helper replicon (ii).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Icon Genetics AG
    Inventors: Sylvestre Marillonnet, Carola Engler, Victor Klimyuk, Yuri Gleba
  • Patent number: 8575427
    Abstract: The nucleotide sequence of a 992 bp region of cDNA and the nucleotide sequence of a 1973 bp (or a 1913 bp) of genomic DNA of the Gr-cm-1 gene were determined for G. rostochiensis. PCR primers and probes specific for G. rostochiensis and G. pallida were generated. PCR assays, including a real-time TaqMan PCR were used to identify G. rostochiensis and G. pallida and to differentiate G. rostochiensis from G. pallida. Transgenic hairy roots expressing Gr-cm-1 dsRNA were generated. There was a 52% reduction in the average number of females per root in the Gr-cm-1 dsRNA transgenic lines when compared with the infected control lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture
    Inventors: Xiaohong Wang, Shunwen Lu
  • Patent number: 8557246
    Abstract: Fusion protein with directioning of vaccinal antigens toward antigen-presenting cells and the applications thereof. This invention relates to a gene construct that comprises, operatively bound, at least one nucleotide sequence (A) that encodes a polypeptide with SEQ ID NO: 1, which has a region that recognizes the ? chain of the class-II DR antigen present on the surface of antigen-presenting cells; and one nucleotide sequence (B) that encodes a vaccinal antigen of interest. Moreover, this invention relates to recombinant vectors useful for the expression of the gene construct of the invention, transgenic cells and plants transformed or transfected with said vectors, fusion proteins encoded by the gene construct of the invention and vaccines that comprise said fusion proteins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignees: Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Alternative Gene Expression, S.L.
    Inventors: José Angel Martínez Escribano, Andrés Wigdorovitz, Félix Gil Dones, Agustin Ostachuk, Mariano Pèrez Filguera, Javier Dominguez, Carmen Núnez Serrano, Maria Josè Dus Santos, Covadonga Alonso Marti
  • Patent number: 8552168
    Abstract: The invention provides nucleic acids and polypeptides for enhanced expression of nucleic acids and proteins. In one aspect, the sequences serve as transcription and translation enhancers or stabilizers, and can be incorporated in expression constructs at or near the translation control elements. The invention provides methods of producing mRNA (transcripts) and proteins. The invention provides methods of discovering new enhancer elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Steven P. Briggs, Kiyoshi Tachikawa