What is considered a “specifically defined” nucleotide or amino acid?
According to MPEP 2412.03(a), “specifically defined” refers to:
- For nucleotides: any nucleotide other than those represented by the symbol “n”
- For amino acids: any amino acid other than those represented by the symbol “X”
The MPEP cites WIPO Standard ST.26, which provides tables of symbols for nucleotides and amino acids. For example, ‘a’ represents adenine, ‘c’ represents cytosine, and ‘A’ represents Alanine.
It’s important to note that “n” for nucleotides and “X” for amino acids represent “unknown” or “other” and are not considered specifically defined.
To learn more:
Topics:
MPEP 2400 - Biotechnology,
MPEP 2412.03 - Nucleotides And Amino Acids Included And Excluded From A "Sequence Listing Xml",
Patent Law,
Patent Procedure