MPEP § 2412.05(e) — Presentation of Special Situations (Annotated Rules)

§2412.05(e) Presentation of Special Situations

USPTO MPEP version: BlueIron's Update: 2025-12-31

This page consolidates and annotates all enforceable requirements under MPEP § 2412.05(e), including statutory authority, regulatory rules, examiner guidance, and practice notes. It is provided as guidance, with links to the ground truth sources. This is information only, it is not legal advice.

Presentation of Special Situations

This section addresses Presentation of Special Situations. Primary authority: 37 CFR 1.832(a), 37 CFR 1.832, and 37 CFR 1.831(a)). Contains: 3 requirements and 1 prohibition.

Key Rules

Topic

Sequence Listing Content

7 rules
StatutoryInformativeAlways
[mpep-2412-05-e-2d84f2544150e1fa9ec5e4eb]
Requirement for Sequence Disclosure
Note:
This rule requires all applications with a filing date on or after July 1, 2022, to disclose one or more nucleotide and/or amino acid sequences as defined in 37 CFR 1.831(b).

[Editor Note: This section is applicable to all applications with a filing date, or, for national phase applications, an international filing date, on or after July 1, 2022, having disclosure of one or more nucleotide and/or amino acid sequences as defined in 37 CFR 1.831(b)].

Jump to MPEP Source · 37 CFR 1.831(b)Sequence Listing ContentSequence Listing Requirements
StatutoryRequiredAlways
[mpep-2412-05-e-f90f0f1e764902dea8bcfdf9]
Nucleotide and Amino Acid Sequence Construction Requirement
Note:
A continuous sequence derived from non-contiguous segments must be listed in the ‘Sequence Listing XML’ as per WIPO Standard ST.26 paragraph 35.

(d) A nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence that is constructed as a single continuous sequence derived from one or more non-contiguous segments of a larger sequence or of segments from different sequences must be listed in the “Sequence Listing XML” in the manner described in paragraph 35 of WIPO Standard ST.26.

Jump to MPEP Source · 37 CFR 1.832Sequence Listing ContentSequence Listing FormatSequence Listing Requirements
StatutoryRequiredAlways
[mpep-2412-05-e-d5ee9f256eb65720fe78ebb6]
Nucleotide/Amino Acid Sequence With Specific Residues Must Be Listed
Note:
A nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence containing specific residue regions separated by ‘n’ or ‘X’ residues must be listed in the ‘Sequence Listing XML’. The exact number of ‘n’ or ‘X’ residues is required to be disclosed.

(e) A nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence that contains regions of specifically defined residues separated by one or more regions of contiguous “n” or “X” residues, wherein the exact number of “n” or “X” residues in each region is disclosed, must be listed in the “Sequence Listing XML” in the manner described in paragraph 36 of WIPO Standard ST.26.

Jump to MPEP Source · 37 CFR 1.832Sequence Listing ContentSequence Listing FormatSequence Listing Requirements
StatutoryRequiredAlways
[mpep-2412-05-e-a609db55a50883a3dd7da465]
Nucleotide and Amino Acid Sequence with Gaps Must be Listed
Note:
A nucleotide or amino acid sequence containing defined residues separated by gaps must be included in the 'Sequence Listing XML' as per WIPO Standard ST.26 paragraph 37.

(f) A nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence that contains regions of specifically defined residues separated by one or more gaps of an unknown or undisclosed number of residues must be listed in the “Sequence Listing XML” in the manner described in paragraph 37 of WIPO Standard ST.26.

Jump to MPEP Source · 37 CFR 1.832Sequence Listing ContentSequence Listing FormatSequence Listing Requirements
StatutoryRequiredAlways
[mpep-2412-05-e-a774cb3accf36c6a95a21c17]
Non-Contiguous Sequence Must Be Listed
Note:
A sequence constructed from non-contiguous segments must be included in the Sequence Listing XML and assigned its own identifier.

WIPO Standard ST.26, paragraph 35, describes that a sequence disclosed by enumeration of its residues that is constructed as a single continuous sequence from one or more non-contiguous segments of a larger sequence or of segments from different sequences must be included in the “Sequence Listing XML” and assigned its own sequence identifier, as defined in 37 CFR 1.832(a). See MPEP § 2412.05(a).

Jump to MPEP Source · 37 CFR 1.832(a)Sequence Listing ContentSequence Listing FormatSequence Listing Requirements
StatutoryRequiredAlways
[mpep-2412-05-e-a114fba519edd363cf1c5232]
Sequence Containing Specific Residues and N/X Regions Must Be Listed
Note:
A sequence with specific residue regions separated by 'n' or 'X' must be included in the Sequence Listing XML as one sequence.

WIPO Standard ST.26, paragraph 36, describes that a sequence that contains regions of specifically defined residues separated by one or more regions of contiguous “n” or “X” residues, wherein the exact number of “n” or “X” residues in each region is disclosed, must be included in the “Sequence Listing XML” as one sequence and assigned its own sequence identifier.

Jump to MPEP Source · 37 CFR 1.832Sequence Listing ContentSequence Listing FormatSequence Listing Requirements
StatutoryRequiredAlways
[mpep-2412-05-e-7d073bb53b624d06a3361f63]
Regions of Specifically Defined Residues Must Be Separately Listed
Note:
Each region of specifically defined residues must be included as a separate sequence in the Sequence Listing XML and assigned its own identifier.

WIPO Standard ST.26, paragraph 37, describes that a sequence that contains regions of specifically defined residues separated by one or more gaps of an unknown or undisclosed number of residues must not be represented in the “Sequence Listing XML” as a single sequence. Each region of specifically defined residues (as encompassed by the definition in 37 CFR 1.831(a)) must be included in the “Sequence Listing XML” as a separate sequence and assigned its own sequence identifier.

Jump to MPEP Source · 37 CFR 1.831(a))Sequence Listing ContentSequence Listing FormatSequence Listing Requirements
Topic

Sequence Listing Format

1 rules
StatutoryProhibitedAlways
[mpep-2412-05-e-b8093eb6be1a5d64ec6aa006]
Sequences With Gaps Must Be Separated
Note:
Sequences containing defined residues with unknown gaps must be listed as separate sequences in the XML.

WIPO Standard ST.26, paragraph 37, describes that a sequence that contains regions of specifically defined residues separated by one or more gaps of an unknown or undisclosed number of residues must not be represented in the “Sequence Listing XML” as a single sequence. Each region of specifically defined residues (as encompassed by the definition in 37 CFR 1.831(a)) must be included in the “Sequence Listing XML” as a separate sequence and assigned its own sequence identifier.

Jump to MPEP Source · 37 CFR 1.831(a))Sequence Listing FormatSequence Listing RequirementsSequence Listing Content

Citations

Primary topicCitation
Sequence Listing Content
Sequence Listing Format
37 CFR § 1.831(a)
Sequence Listing Content37 CFR § 1.831(b)
Sequence Listing Content37 CFR § 1.832(a)
Sequence Listing ContentMPEP § 2412.05(a)

Source Text from USPTO’s MPEP

This is an exact copy of the MPEP from the USPTO. It is here for your reference to see the section in context.

BlueIron Last Updated: 2025-12-31