Camelina sativa belongs to the family Brassicaceae. This plant is native to Eastern Europe and Southwest Asia, where there are also wild weedy forms. The developed crop form was widely grown across Europe until the 1950s. The seeds yield an oil of excellent nutritional quality which in the past was used as an illuminant and for cosmetic purposes, while the stems were utilized for making brushes, packaging, and thatching temporary buildings. There were additional uses of the green crop as fodder and of the seed for fattening poultry, while the protein-rich press cake was a valued livestock food. Small areas have been grown in recent years for use in the soap and cosmetic industries and as a constituent of birdseed. Experiments are being conducted to assess its future potential.

Summary of the invention

The present invention discloses a general method for transformation of Camelina sativa using Agrobacterium. Independent Claim 1 is not limited in the sort of explant used for transformation. The only limitation seems to be that an explant is used as starting material, which could mean that full plants are excluded from protection.

Independent Claims 27-30 recite broad claims on various industrial application of the genetically modified plant, which is seen as having potential for the production of a number of metabolites and products.

Naturally, this patent application must be viewed in the light of the many other patents on Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, including general methods, methods for dicots and vectors.

Specific Patent Information

Patent Number

Title, Independent Claims and Summary of Claims

Assigne

WO 2002/38779 A1

Earliest priority - 13 November 2000
Filed - 12 November 2001
OPI - 16 May 2002

Title - A transformation system in Camelina sativa

Claim 1

A method for Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation, characterized in that the method is Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation of Camelina sativa comprising the steps of:

(a) providing explants from Camelina sativa;
(b) contacting the explants of Camelina sativa with Agrobacterium containing at least one recombinant DNA construct;
(c) allowing the transformation to take place on culture medium optionally supplemented with at least one hormone;
(d) inducing formation (regeneration) of one or more shoots and roots from the transformed explants on a cell culture medium optionally containing at least one hormone; and
(e) growing the shoots into a whole Camelina sativa plant.

Claim 27
The use of Camelina sativa as an alternative model plant in Agrobacterium-mediated transformation.

Claim 28
The use of transgenic Camelina sativa for producing heterologous or homologous products.

Claim 29
The use of transgenic Camelina sativa for producing proteins.

Claim 30
The use of transgenic Camelina sativa for producing metabolites.

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of Camelina sativa explants and the subsequent regeneration of the transformed cells into whole Camelina sativa plants. The use of transgenic Camelina sativa for the production of homologous or heterologous recombinant products are also claimed.

According to the specification, the term "hormone" in claim 1 'means organic compounds or molecules originating in certain parts or organs of a plant, which compounds when transported to another tissue elicit a certain response. Plant hormones are active preferably in small concentrations and can be used in different combinations. The major classes of plant hormones are auxin, gibberellins, cytokinins, ethylene, and abscisic acid, each of which has many effects. Also a variety of other compounds including oligosaccharmns, batasins and brassino steroids function as hormones in plants.'

Unicorp Ltd

Remarks

National phase entry of WO 2002/38779 in Canada (CA 2427117), United States (US 2004/0031076) and Europe (EP1334199) are pending.
National phase entry of WO 2002/38779 in Australia (AU 1407802) has lapsed as advertised on 29 January 2004 according to IP Australia.
National phase entry of WO 2002/38779 in Finland (FI 110009B B1) has been granted on 15 November 2002.

Note: Patent information on this page was last updated on 14 March 2006.

The information contained in this page was believed to be correct at the time it was collated. New patents and patent applications, altered status of patents, and case law may have resulted in changes in the landscape. CAMBIA makes no warranty that it is correct or up to date at this time and accepts no liability for any use that might be made of it. Corrections or updates to the information are welcome. Please send an email to info@bios.net.

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Summary of the invention