What is a feature table in a Sequence Listing XML and why is it important?

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.

A feature table in a Sequence Listing XML is a crucial component that provides information about various regions within a particular sequence. As stated in MPEP 2413.01(g):

“A feature table is required for every sequence, except for any intentionally skipped sequence, in which case it must not be included. The feature table is contained in the element INSDSeq_feature-table, which consists of one or more INSDFeature elements”.

The feature table is important because it allows for the annotation of specific regions or characteristics of a sequence, providing valuable information for patent examiners and researchers. Each INSDFeature element describes one feature and consists of mandatory elements such as the feature key, location, and qualifiers.