How should amino acid sequence variants produced by alternative splicing be represented?

This page is an FAQ based on guidance from the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure. It is provided as guidance, with links to the ground truth sources. This is information only: it is not legal advice.

According to the table in MPEP 2412.05(c), amino acid sequence variants produced by alternative splicing should be represented as follows:

• Feature Key: VAR_SEQ
• Qualifier: note
• Use: For variants produced by alternative splicing, alternative promoter usage, alternative initiation, and ribosomal frameshifting

This representation allows for accurate documentation of protein variants resulting from different cellular processes, which is essential for biotechnology patent applications involving protein sequences.