DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 3/30/2026 has been entered.
Status of Claims
Claims 1-16 & 23 are under examination on the merits.
The objection to the specification is withdrawn in light of Applicant’s amendments.
The objection to claim 3 is withdrawn in light of Applicant’s amendments.
The rejection of claims 1-6 & 13-23 under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement with regard to TaMLO genes in any wheat plant is withdrawn in light of Applicant’s amendments.
The rejection of claims 1-12 & 14-23 under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as not fully enabling any knockout or knockdown of TaMLO-A1, TaMLO-B1, and TaMLO-D1 genes in other wheat species is withdrawn in light of Applicant’s amendments.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Should applicant desire to obtain the benefit of foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d) prior to declaration of an interference, a certified English translation of the foreign application must be submitted in reply to this action. 37 CFR 41.154(b) and 41.202(e).
Failure to provide a certified translation may result in no benefit being accorded for the non-English application.
Objections
Claims 1, 7, 11-13, 15 & 16 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 (lines 12-14), Claim 7 (lines 15 - 18), Claim 11 (lines 6-9), Claim 15 (lines 8-11), and Claim 16 (lines 5-8): each recitation of “or conservative variant thereof” should read --or a conservative variant thereof--.
Claim 12 (line 4): “encoding TaTMT3 protein” should read --encoding the TaTMT3 protein--.
Claim 13 (line 1): “is TaTMT3B” should read --is a TaTMT3B--.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Indefiniteness
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-16 & 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Due to Applicant' s amendment of the claims, the rejection is modified from the rejection set forth in the Office action mailed 10/1/2025, as applied to claims 19 & 22. Applicant's arguments filed 3/30/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Claim 1 (lines 10-14), claim 7 (lines 14-18), claim 11 (lines 5-9), claim 15 (lines 7-11), and claim 16 (lines 4-8) require a TaTMT3 protein comprising an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 8, 10, or 12 or a conservative variant thereof. The originally filed specification describes conservative substitutions in amino acid sequences (page 10, paragraph 5). The specification further describes that conservative amino acid substitutions in peptides or proteins are known to those skilled in the art (page 5, paragraph 8). The specification describes that the function of MLO genes is conservative in evolution (page 2, paragraph 2). However, despite describing conservative amino acid substitutions and conservative evolution of gene function, the specification does not define or describe a conservative variant of an amino acid sequence, nor a conservative variant of SEQ ID NO: 8, 10, or 12 or a TaTMT3 protein. It is unclear whether this limitation in the claims is intended to encompass all variants with conservative amino acid substitutions or variants with a conservative evolutionary function or some other interpretation. Because the scope of the limitation is unclear, claims 1, 7, 11, 15, 16 and dependent claims 2-6, 8-10, 12-14, & 23 are likewise indefinite.
Applicant urges that the rejection under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, of claims 19 & 22 is overcome by cancelation of the claims (Remarks, page 11, paragraph 6).
This argument is unpersuasive, because amendments to the claims raise new issues of indefiniteness under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph.
Written Description
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
A. Claims 1-12, 14-16 & 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Due to Applicant' s amendment of the claims, the rejection is modified from the rejection set forth in the Office action mailed 10/1/2025, as applied to claims 1-12 & 14-23. Applicant's arguments filed 3/30/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Claims 1-12, 14-16 & 23 are drawn to wheat plants, progeny, or parts comprising increased expression of a Triticum aestivum vacuolar membrane monosaccharide transporter 3 (TaTMT3) protein comprising an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 8, 10, or 12 or a conservative variant thereof or methods requiring increased expression of a Triticum aestivum vacuolar membrane monosaccharide transporter 3 (TaTMT3) protein comprising an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 8, 10, or 12 or a conservative variant thereof. Thus, the claims all broadly require a TaTMT3 protein of SEQ ID NOs: 8, 10, or 12 or a conservative variant.
The instant specification suggests that conservative amino acid substitutions and substitutions in non-critical domains of a TaTMT3 protein are permissible without affecting the function of the proteins (page 10, paragraph 6) but does not describe what the critical domains of a TaTMT3 protein are nor what the required function of a TaTMT3 protein is. No motifs or minimal required sequence of a TaTMT3 protein are described in the instant specification. Thus, the claims reasonably encompass TaTMT3 proteins with any number of conservative substitutions to SEQ ID NO: 8, 10, or 12.
TaTMT3 proteins have been described in the art. Li et al (2022) Nature. 602: 455–460 (published after the filing date of the instant application, 2/9/2022, hereafter Li) described TaTMT3 as an ortholog of Arabidopsis AtTMT3 with similar ability to rescue leaf senescence in mlo mutants (page 457, left column, paragraph 5 & page 459, left column, paragraph 1). A protein with 100% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 8 and with membrane transport and monosaccharide sensing GO annotation found in Triticum aestivum was described by UniProtKB record A0A3B6IYN9_WHEAT prior to the filing date of the instant application (available 12/5/2018, see alignment below).
A0A3B6IYN9_WHEAT
ID A0A3B6IYN9_WHEAT Unreviewed; 740 AA.
AC A0A3B6IYN9;
DT 05-DEC-2018, integrated into UniProtKB/TrEMBL.
DT 05-DEC-2018, sequence version 1.
DT 02-APR-2025, entry version 26.
DE RecName: Full=Major facilitator superfamily (MFS) profile domain-containing protein {ECO:0000259|PROSITE:PS50850};
GN Name=LOC123089393 {ECO:0000313|EnsemblPlants:TraesCS4B02G322000.2};
OS Triticum aestivum (Wheat).
OC Eukaryota; Viridiplantae; Streptophyta; Embryophyta; Tracheophyta;
OC Spermatophyta; Magnoliopsida; Liliopsida; Poales; Poaceae; BOP clade;
OC Pooideae; Triticodae; Triticeae; Triticinae; Triticum.
OX NCBI_TaxID=4565 {ECO:0000313|EnsemblPlants:TraesCS4B02G322000.2};
RN [1] {ECO:0000313|EnsemblPlants:TraesCS4B02G322000.2}
RP NUCLEOTIDE SEQUENCE [LARGE SCALE GENOMIC DNA].
RC STRAIN=cv. Chinese Spring
RC {ECO:0000313|EnsemblPlants:TraesCS4B02G322000.2};
RA Rossello M.;
RL Submitted (AUG-2018) to the EMBL/GenBank/DDBJ databases.
RN [2] {ECO:0000313|EnsemblPlants:TraesCS4B02G322000.2}
RP IDENTIFICATION.
RG EnsemblPlants;
RL Submitted (OCT-2018) to UniProtKB.
CC -!- SUBCELLULAR LOCATION: Membrane {ECO:0000256|ARBA:ARBA00004141}; Multi-
CC pass membrane protein {ECO:0000256|ARBA:ARBA00004141}.
CC -!- SIMILARITY: Belongs to the major facilitator superfamily. Sugar
CC transporter (TC 2.A.1.1) family. {ECO:0000256|ARBA:ARBA00010992}.
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DR SMR; A0A3B6IYN9; -.
DR STRING; 4565.A0A3B6IYN9; -.
DR EnsemblPlants; TraesCS4B02G322000.2; TraesCS4B02G322000.2; TraesCS4B02G322000.
DR Gramene; TraesCS4B02G322000.2; TraesCS4B02G322000.2; TraesCS4B02G322000.
DR Gramene; TraesJUL4B03G02403970.1; TraesJUL4B03G02403970.1; TraesJUL4B03G02403970.
DR OMA; AMFYIKE; -.
DR OrthoDB; 8120565at2759; -.
DR Proteomes; UP000019116; Chromosome 4B.
DR GO; GO:0016020; C:membrane; IBA:GO_Central.
DR GO; GO:0022857; F:transmembrane transporter activity; IBA:GO_Central.
DR GO; GO:0055085; P:transmembrane transport; IBA:GO_Central.
DR FunFam; 1.20.1250.20:FF:000108; Monosaccharide-sensing protein 2; 1.
DR Gene3D; 1.20.1250.20; MFS general substrate transporter like domains; 2.
DR InterPro; IPR020846; MFS_dom.
DR InterPro; IPR005828; MFS_sugar_transport-like.
DR InterPro; IPR036259; MFS_trans_sf.
DR InterPro; IPR050814; Myo-inositol_Transporter.
DR InterPro; IPR003663; Sugar/inositol_transpt.
DR InterPro; IPR005829; Sugar_transporter_CS.
DR PANTHER; PTHR48020; PROTON MYO-INOSITOL COTRANSPORTER; 1.
DR PANTHER; PTHR48020:SF35; SUGAR TRANSPORTER; 1.
DR Pfam; PF00083; Sugar_tr; 2.
DR PRINTS; PR00171; SUGRTRNSPORT.
DR SUPFAM; SSF103473; MFS general substrate transporter; 1.
DR PROSITE; PS50850; MFS; 1.
DR PROSITE; PS00217; SUGAR_TRANSPORT_2; 1.
PE 3: Inferred from homology;
KW Membrane {ECO:0000256|ARBA:ARBA00023136, ECO:0000256|SAM:Phobius};
KW Reference proteome {ECO:0000313|Proteomes:UP000019116};
KW Transmembrane {ECO:0000256|ARBA:ARBA00022692, ECO:0000256|SAM:Phobius};
KW Transmembrane helix {ECO:0000256|ARBA:ARBA00022989,
KW ECO:0000256|SAM:Phobius}.
FT TRANSMEM 88..108
FT /note="Helical"
FT /evidence="ECO:0000256|SAM:Phobius"
FT TRANSMEM 114..135
FT /note="Helical"
FT /evidence="ECO:0000256|SAM:Phobius"
FT TRANSMEM 142..163
FT /note="Helical"
FT /evidence="ECO:0000256|SAM:Phobius"
FT TRANSMEM 183..200
FT /note="Helical"
FT /evidence="ECO:0000256|SAM:Phobius"
FT TRANSMEM 207..227
FT /note="Helical"
FT /evidence="ECO:0000256|SAM:Phobius"
FT TRANSMEM 554..576
FT /note="Helical"
FT /evidence="ECO:0000256|SAM:Phobius"
FT TRANSMEM 585..606
FT /note="Helical"
FT /evidence="ECO:0000256|SAM:Phobius"
FT TRANSMEM 612..639
FT /note="Helical"
FT /evidence="ECO:0000256|SAM:Phobius"
FT TRANSMEM 651..671
FT /note="Helical"
FT /evidence="ECO:0000256|SAM:Phobius"
FT TRANSMEM 677..700
FT /note="Helical"
FT /evidence="ECO:0000256|SAM:Phobius"
FT DOMAIN 48..706
FT /note="Major facilitator superfamily (MFS) profile"
FT /evidence="ECO:0000259|PROSITE:PS50850"
SQ SEQUENCE 740 AA; 81755 MW; DCAE35C8F97E76E2 CRC64;
Query Match 100.0%; Score 3800; Length 740;
Best Local Similarity 100.0%;
Matches 740; Conservative 0; Mismatches 0; Indels 0; Gaps 0;
Qy 1 MEDLTRPLVRESEANLHAKLAPSGSGSGLRQACKKLRDLTTVDRAVLVAFVASIGNLLQG 60
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Db 1 MEDLTRPLVRESEANLHAKLAPSGSGSGLRQACKKLRDLTTVDRAVLVAFVASIGNLLQG 60
Qy 61 WDNASIAGAMFYIKDEFKLDSMPMIEGCIMAMALFGATIITTLSGMLSDKFGRWAMLLTS 120
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Db 61 WDNASIAGAMFYIKDEFKLDSMPMIEGCIMAMALFGATIITTLSGMLSDKFGRWAMLLTS 120
Qy 121 AVLSFVSALLVIFWSQHVYMLLFVRLIQGFSIGLAVTLVPLYIVETAPPDMRGKLSTFPQ 180
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Db 121 AVLSFVSALLVIFWSQHVYMLLFVRLIQGFSIGLAVTLVPLYIVETAPPDMRGKLSTFPQ 180
Qy 181 LSGSAGMFLSYCMVFWMSMLPKVSWRIMLGIQLIPSLIYSILTIFYLPETPSWLVSQGRV 240
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Db 181 LSGSAGMFLSYCMVFWMSMLPKVSWRIMLGIQLIPSLIYSILTIFYLPETPSWLVSQGRV 240
Qy 241 DEAKMVLQKLRRKEDVSGEMASLLEGTQVGDTPSIEEYLISTNESMLREKVIGNDEIIKL 300
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Db 241 DEAKMVLQKLRRKEDVSGEMASLLEGTQVGDTPSIEEYLISTNESMLREKVIGNDEIIKL 300
Qy 301 YGLPEDLHCVAYPLKRTNTEESAIGHSVSRGASFYDPVVNIIGSMHGLPEVAHGIFNELE 360
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Db 301 YGLPEDLHCVAYPLKRTNTEESAIGHSVSRGASFYDPVVNIIGSMHGLPEVAHGIFNELE 360
Qy 361 QQGPIEGDEENQEETKEHELEHNRDDTYDSEHDYLIQPKPTNINDFVICRKSGHIGGGWQ 420
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Db 361 QQGPIEGDEENQEETKEHELEHNRDDTYDSEHDYLIQPKPTNINDFVICRKSGHIGGGWQ 420
Qy 421 LAWKMSSGYHLDGQMEGGMERVYLHEGGVPSSENLLDAPIDGNFIQATALVNKSVFHKSG 480
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Db 421 LAWKMSSGYHLDGQMEGGMERVYLHEGGVPSSENLLDAPIDGNFIQATALVNKSVFHKSG 480
Qy 481 HNIGIHSPNKDYRSTKWKDLLEPGVKRALVVGVGIQVLQQFAGINGILYYTPQILEQAGV 540
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Db 481 HNIGIHSPNKDYRSTKWKDLLEPGVKRALVVGVGIQVLQQFAGINGILYYTPQILEQAGV 540
Qy 541 GVLLSKFGINSSSVSILMSALTTLLMLPFICIAMWLMDRSGRRRILLVTIPILVVSLVVL 600
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Db 541 GVLLSKFGINSSSVSILMSALTTLLMLPFICIAMWLMDRSGRRRILLVTIPILVVSLVVL 600
Qy 601 VTVNIVNLSAELHALLSTMSVGIYFCIFVMGFGPIPNIFCSEIFPNKVRAICLAICSLVF 660
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Db 601 VTVNIVNLSAELHALLSTMSVGIYFCIFVMGFGPIPNIFCSEIFPNKVRAICLAICSLVF 660
Qy 661 WICDIIVTYTLPVLLRYIGLAGVFGVYAIVCVLAFVFVCLKVPETKNIPIEVIAEFYALG 720
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Db 661 WICDIIVTYTLPVLLRYIGLAGVFGVYAIVCVLAFVFVCLKVPETKNIPIEVIAEFYALG 720
Qy 721 GSGTQIIQERQKENSEKLLV 740
||||||||||||||||||||
Db 721 GSGTQIIQERQKENSEKLLV 740
Transporter proteins with conservative amino acid substitutions relative to SEQ ID NOs: 8, 10 or 12 are known in species other than Triticum aestivum, including a monosaccharide sensing protein in Aegilops tauschii with 7 conservative amino acid substitutions and as little as 91.4% similarity to instant SEQ ID NO: 10 (UniProtKB record R7W062_AEGTA, available 7/24/2013). See alignment below. However, a TMT3 protein found in a species other than Triticum aestivum is not a Triticum aestivum TMT3 protein, as required by claims 1-12, 14-16 & 23. Triticum aestivum TMT3 proteins with multiple conservative amino acid substitutions to SEQ ID NOs: 8, 10, or 12 are not described in the art.
R7W062_AEGTA
ID R7W062_AEGTA Unreviewed; 760 AA.
AC R7W062;
DT 24-JUL-2013, integrated into UniProtKB/TrEMBL.
DT 24-JUL-2013, sequence version 1.
DT 05-FEB-2025, entry version 50.
DE SubName: Full=Monosaccharide-sensing protein 3 {ECO:0000313|EnsemblPlants:EMT02609};
OS Aegilops tauschii (Tausch's goatgrass) (Aegilops squarrosa).
OC Eukaryota; Viridiplantae; Streptophyta; Embryophyta; Tracheophyta;
OC Spermatophyta; Magnoliopsida; Liliopsida; Poales; Poaceae; BOP clade;
OC Pooideae; Triticodae; Triticeae; Triticinae; Aegilops.
OX NCBI_TaxID=37682 {ECO:0000313|EnsemblPlants:EMT02609};
RN [1] {ECO:0000313|EnsemblPlants:EMT02609}
RP IDENTIFICATION.
RG EnsemblPlants;
RL Submitted (JUN-2015) to UniProtKB.
CC -!- SUBCELLULAR LOCATION: Membrane {ECO:0000256|ARBA:ARBA00004141}; Multi-
CC pass membrane protein {ECO:0000256|ARBA:ARBA00004141}.
CC -!- SIMILARITY: Belongs to the major facilitator superfamily. Sugar
CC transporter (TC 2.A.1.1) family. {ECO:0000256|ARBA:ARBA00010992}.
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DR AlphaFoldDB; R7W062; -.
DR EnsemblPlants; EMT02609; EMT02609; F775_14821.
DR GO; GO:0016020; C:membrane; IEA:UniProtKB-SubCell.
DR GO; GO:0022857; F:transmembrane transporter activity; IEA:InterPro.
DR FunFam; 1.20.1250.20:FF:000108; Monosaccharide-sensing protein 2; 1.
DR Gene3D; 1.20.1250.20; MFS general substrate transporter like domains; 2.
DR InterPro; IPR020846; MFS_dom.
DR InterPro; IPR005828; MFS_sugar_transport-like.
DR InterPro; IPR036259; MFS_trans_sf.
DR InterPro; IPR050814; Myo-inositol_Transporter.
DR InterPro; IPR003663; Sugar/inositol_transpt.
DR InterPro; IPR005829; Sugar_transporter_CS.
DR PANTHER; PTHR48020; PROTON MYO-INOSITOL COTRANSPORTER; 1.
DR PANTHER; PTHR48020:SF35; SUGAR TRANSPORTER; 1.
DR Pfam; PF00083; Sugar_tr; 2.
DR PRINTS; PR00171; SUGRTRNSPORT.
DR SUPFAM; SSF103473; MFS general substrate transporter; 1.
DR PROSITE; PS50850; MFS; 1.
DR PROSITE; PS00217; SUGAR_TRANSPORT_2; 1.
PE 3: Inferred from homology;
KW Membrane {ECO:0000256|ARBA:ARBA00023136};
KW Transmembrane {ECO:0000256|ARBA:ARBA00022692};
KW Transmembrane helix {ECO:0000256|ARBA:ARBA00022989}.
FT DOMAIN 48..679
FT /note="Major facilitator superfamily (MFS) profile"
FT /evidence="ECO:0000259|PROSITE:PS50850"
SQ SEQUENCE 760 AA; 83970 MW; B5892DB6B4A92AB6 CRC64;
Query Match 91.4%; Score 3477; Length 760;
Best Local Similarity 94.1%;
Matches 681; Conservative 7; Mismatches 8; Indels 28; Gaps 2;
Qy 1 MEDLSRPLVRDSEANLHAKLAPSGHGSGLLQQACQKLRDLTTVDRAVLVAFVASIGNLLQ 60
||||:||||||||||||||||||| ||| |||||:||||||||| |||||||||||||||
Db 1 MEDLTRPLVRDSEANLHAKLAPSGSGSG-LQQACKKLRDLTTVDHAVLVAFVASIGNLLQ 59
Qy 61 GWDNASIAGAMLYIKDEFKLDSMPMIEGCIMAMALFGATIITTLSGMLSNKFGRWAMLLT 120
||||||||||| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||:||||||||||
Db 60 GWDNASIAGAMFYIKDEFKLDSMPMIEGCIMAMALFGATIITTLSGMLSDKFGRWAMLLT 119
Qy 121 SAVLSFVSALLVIFWSQHVYMLLFARLIQGFSIGLAVTLVPLYIVETAPPDMRGKLSTFP 180
|||||||||:||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Db 120 SAVLSFVSAVLVIFWSQHVYMLLFARLIQGFSIGLAVTLVPLYIVETAPPDMRGKLSTFP 179
Qy 181 QLSGSVGMFLSYCMVFWMSMLPKVSWRVMLGIQLIPSLIYSILTIFYLPETPSWLVSQGR 240
||||||||||||||||||||||| ||||||||||
Db 180 QLSGSVGMFLSYCMVFWMSMLPK---------------------------TPSWLVSQGR 212
Qy 241 VDEAKMVLQKLRRKEDVSGEMASLLEGTQVGDTPSIEEYLISTNESMLREKVIGNDEIIK 300
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Db 213 VDEAKMVLQKLRRKEDVSGEMASLLEGTQVGDTPSIEEYLISTNESMLREKVIGNDEIIK 272
Qy 301 LYGLPEDLHCVAYPLKRTNTEESAIGHSVSHGASFYDPVVNIIGSMHGLPEVAHGIFNEL 360
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Db 273 LYGLPEDLHCVAYPLKRTNTEESAIGHSVSRGASFYDPVVNIIGSMHGLPEVAHGIFNEL 332
Qy 361 EQQGPIEGDEENQEETKEHELEHNRDGTYDSEHAYLIQPKPTNINDFVVCRKSGHIGGGW 420
|||||||||||||||||||||||||| |||||| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Db 333 EQQGPIEGDEENQEETKEHELEHNRDDTYDSEHDYLIQPKPTNINDFVVCRKSGHIGGGW 392
Qy 421 QLAWKMSSGYRLDGQMEGGMERVYLHEGGVPSSENLLDAPIDGNFIQATALVNKSVFHKS 480
|||||||||| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Db 393 QLAWKMSSGYHLDGQMEGGMERVYLHEGGVPSSENLLDAPIDGNFIQATALVNKSVFHKS 452
Qy 481 GHNIGIHSPNKDYRSTKWKDLLEPGVKRALVVGVGIQVLQQFAGINGILYYTPQILEQAG 540
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Db 453 GHNIGIHSPNKDYRSTKWKDLLEPGVKRALVVGVGIQVLQQFAGINGILYYTPQILEQAG 512
Qy 541 IGVLLSKFGISSSSVSILMSALTTLLMLPFICMAMWLMDRSGRRRILLVTIPILVVSLIV 600
:|||||||||:|||||||||||||||||||||:|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Db 513 VGVLLSKFGINSSSVSILMSALTTLLMLPFICIAMWLMDRSGRRRILLVTIPILVVSLIV 572
Qy 601 LVTVNIVNLSAELHALLSTMSVGIYFCIFVMGFGPIPNIFCSEIFPNKVRAICLAICSLI 660
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Db 573 LVTVNIVNLSAELHALLSTMSVGIYFCIFVMGFGPIPNIFCSEIFPNKVRAICLAICSLI 632
Qy 661 FWICDIIVTYTLPVLLRYIGLAGVFGVYAIVCVLAFVFVCLKVPETKNIPIEVIEEFYAL 720
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| |||||
Db 633 FWICDIIVTYTLPVLLRYIGLAGVFGVYAIVCVLAFVFVCLKVPETKNIPIEVIAEFYAL 692
Qy 721 GGSD 724
||||
Db 693 GGSD 696
Because TaTMT3 proteins with any number of conservative amino acid substitutions to SEQ ID NOs: 8, 10, or 12 are not described over the full scope of the claims, including their necessary structural features which would differentiate them from a TMT3 protein of another species, and because such proteins are not described in the prior art, the specification fails to provide an adequate written description of the claimed methods comprising increasing such a protein and plant produced by a method of increasing such a protein. Therefore, given the lack of written description in the specification with regard to the structural and functional characteristics of the compositions used in the claimed methods, Applicant does not appear to have been in possession of the claimed genus at the time this application was filed.
Claim 13, wherein the TaTMT3 protein is TaTMT3B comprising an amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 8 is supported by Written Description.
Applicant urges that the previous rejection is moot because the current amended claims require that the TaTMT3 must possess SEQ ID NO: 8, 10, 12 or a conservative variant thereof (Remarks, page 13, paragraph 1).
This argument is unpersuasive, because the claims still require a Triticum aestivum TMT3 protein but encompass conservative variants of SEQ ID NO: 8, 10, & 12. The instant specification has not described structural features of SEQ ID NO: 8, 10, & 12 necessary for protein function and for identity as a Triticum aestivum TMT3 (as opposed to a TMT3 of another species). Triticum aestivum TMT3 genes encoding proteins which comprise conservative amino acid substitutions at any location in the sequences of SEQ ID NO: 8, 10 & 12 are not known in the prior art. Thus, one of skill in the art would not reasonably conclude that Applicant was in possession of proteins comprising an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 8, 10, or 12 or conservative variants thereof over the full genus of Triticum aestivum TMT3 proteins.
Claims 1-12, 14-16 & 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Amended claim 1 (lines 10-14), claim 7 (lines 14-18), claim 11 (lines 5-9), claim 15 (lines 7-11), and claim 16 (lines 4-8) recite a TaTMT3 protein comprising an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 8, 10, or 12 or a conservative variant thereof.
The originally filed specification describes that conservative substitutions in amino acid sequences may not substantially affect the function of proteins (page 10, paragraph 5). The specification further describes that conservative amino acid substitutions in peptides or proteins are known to those skilled in the art, and one of skill would recognize that single amino acid substitution in the non-essential region of a polypeptide would not substantially alter biological activity (page 5, paragraph 8).
Despite describing conservative amino acid substitutions, the specification does not define or describe a conservative variant of an amino acid sequence, nor a conservative variant of SEQ ID NO: 8, 10, or 12 or a TaTMT3 protein.
Thus, such a concept constitutes NEW MATTER. In response to this rejection, Applicant is required to point to support for the concept or to cancel the new matter.
Applicant urges that no new matter has been added by claim amendments (Remarks, page 9, paragraph 11).
This is unpersuasive, because the originally filed application does not provide support for conservative variants of SEQ ID NOs: 8, 10, or 12.
Scope of Enablement
Claims 1-12, 14-16 & 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, because the specification, while being enabling for increasing expression of a TaTMT3 protein of SEQ ID NO: 8, 10, or 12 in a wheat plant, does not reasonably provide enablement for any TaTMT3 protein that comprises a conservative variant of SEQ ID NO: 8, 10, or 12. The specification does not enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make the invention commensurate in scope with these claims.
Due to Applicant' s amendment of the claims, the rejection is modified from the rejection set forth in the Office action mailed 10/1/2025, as applied to claims 1-12 & 14-23. Applicant's arguments filed 3/30/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Claims 1-12, 14-16 & 23 require a TaTMT3 protein with an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 8, 10, or 12 or a conservative variant thereof with increased expression in a wheat plant. The specification does not define a conservative variant and so the claims broadly encompass TaTMT3 proteins with an amino acid sequence with any number of conservative amino acid substitutions relative to SEQ ID NOs: 8, 10 & 12.
The specification teaches three examples of TaTMT3 proteins: SEQ ID NO: 8, 10, and 12. The specification describes no structural features responsible for the function of a TaTMT3 protein or that differentiate a TaTMT3 protein from another TMT3 or sugar transporter protein that comprises conservative substitution in SEQ ID NO: 8, 10, or 12. The instant specification teaches a method to increase expression of a TaTMT3 protein by overexpressing TaTMT3B in a mloabbdd triple mutant plant (page 14, paragraph 2). The specification also teaches an example of increased expression of a TaTMT3 gene due to a genome deletion (page 13, paragraphs 3-5). No examples are provided of a TaTMT3 protein that is not SEQ ID NO: 8, 10, or 12.
Other sugar transporter proteins are known in the art, including a protein in Aegilops tauschii with as little as 91.4% similarity and 7 conservative amino acid substitutions relative to instant SEQ ID NO: 10 (UniProtKB record R7W062_AEGTA, available 7/24/2013). See alignment above. However, a TMT3 protein found in a species other than Triticum aestivum would not be a Triticum aestivum TMT3 protein, as required by claims 1-12, 14-16 & 23. Triticum aestivum TMT3 proteins with conservative amino acid substitutions relative to SEQ ID NOs: 8, 10, or 12 are not described in the art over the full scope of the genus, and the structural features that differentiate a TaTMT3 protein from another protein or a TMT3 protein of another species comprising conservative amino acid substitutions are also not described in the art.
Thus, one of ordinary skill in the art would not know how to create plants overexpressing a Triticum aestivum TMT3 protein comprising an amino acid sequence that is a conservative variant of SEQ ID NOs: 8, 10, or 12 in light of the provided specification. One of ordinary skill in the art would have to generate proteins over the full scope of the claims and overexpress those proteins in a plant in order to determine which, if any, constitute TaTMT3 proteins. Applicant has not provided guidance as to which amino acid modifications of SEQ ID NOs: 8, 10, and 12 would be permissible in a TMT3 protein and would result in a Triticum aestivum TMT3 rather than a TMT3 of another species, so one of ordinary skill in the art would require undue, trial and error experimentation to test all possible TaTMT3 proteins within the scope of the claims.
Given the claim breadth and lack of guidance in the specification, the instant invention is not enabled through the full scope of claims 1-12, 14-16 & 23.
Applicant urges that the requirement that TaTMT3 must possess SEQ ID NO: 8, 10, or 12 or be a conservative variant thereof would enable a skilled person to increase the expression of a TaTMT3 protein possessing SEQ ID NO: 8, 10, 12 or a conservative variant thereof (Remarks, page 14, paragraph 4).
This argument is unpersuasive, because the instant specification does not teach examples of TaTMT3 proteins beyond SEQ ID NOs: 8, 10, or 12 and does not teach what features would distinguish an amino acid sequence that comprises conservative amino acid substitutions relative to SEQ ID NO: 8, 10, or 12 and would still be Triticum aestivum TMT3 from amino acid sequences comprising conservative amino acid substitutions that are not Triticum aestivum TMT3. Conservative amino acid substitutions may be within the skill of an ordinary practitioner of the art, but one of ordinary skill in the art would still lack guidance to distinguish a TaTMT3 protein from an amino acid variant that is not a TaTMT3 protein. Thus, the instant specification does not enable one of ordinary skill to make the instant invention over the full scope of wheat plants comprising increased expression of amino acid sequences that are Triticum aestivum TMT3 without undue experimentation.
Conclusion
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/VICTORIA L DELEO/Examiner, Art Unit 1662
/Anne Kubelik/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1663
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