What symbols should be used to represent nucleotide sequences?
Source: FAQ (MPEP-Based)BlueIron Update: 2024-09-30
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 WIPO Standard ST.26, paragraph 13, all nucleotides in a sequence must be represented using the symbols in Table 1: List of Nucleotides Symbols. Only lowercase letters must be used. The most important symbols are:
- a – for adenine
- c – for cytosine
- g – for guanine
- t – for thymine in DNA or uracil in RNA
- n – for any nucleotide (“a”, “c”, “g”, “t/u”)
The MPEP states: “Any symbol used to represent a nucleotide is the equivalent of only one residue.“
Topics:
MPEP 2400 - Biotechnology
MPEP 2412.05 - Representation And Symbols For Nucleotide And/Or Amino Acid Sequences
Patent Law
Patent Procedure