Full Press Release Details
Expands its Patent Portfolio, Now Encompassing Broad Uses of
Technologies such as CRISPR/Cas9, Zinc Finger Nucleases and TAL-effector
Nucleases for Plant Gene Editing
Patents 9,458,439 and 8,921,332 are Now Issued
MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--October 4, 2016--Calyxt,
Inc., a Minnesota-based company developing healthier food products to
benefit both consumers and growers, today announced the issuance of U.S.
patent 9,458,439, which claims broad gene inactivation by use of
chimeric restriction endonucleases, including TALEN and
CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technologies. This patent, granted by the USPTO
to the Institut Pasteur and Boston Children's Hospital, is exclusively
licensed to Cellectis, Calyxt's parent company. This patent expands on a
previous patent (Patent 8,921,332, claiming the use of homologous
recombination for gene editing), which is a member of a patent family
claiming the basic uses of chimeric restriction nucleases for gene
"CRISPR/Cas9 and TALEN are two modern gene
editing tools that introduce targeted breaks in DNA as a first step in
the gene editing process," said Dr. Dan Voytas, Calyxt's Chief Science
Officer and University of Minnesota Professor.
The most important, and perhaps overlooked, step in genome editing is
what comes next: the repair of the break by either NHEJ (resulting in
gene inactivation) or HR (resulting in gene replacement or insertion).
We are very excited to have broad intellectual property covering both
NHEJ and HR gene editing methods in plant cells."
"This new patent builds on over 16 years of gene editing experience and
an extensive patent portfolio, which refer to diverse uses of gene
editing technologies in the plant space. We believe that Calyxt is in a
unique position to benefit both consumers and the environment as we
expand our product pipeline, which already includes a high oleic/low
saturated fat/no trans-fat soybean, a cold storable/low acrylamide
potato and several wheat products - all of which have been evaluated by
the USDA and many of which are growing in fields across the United
States," added Federico Tripodi, Calyxt's CEO.
This issued U.S. patent 9,458,439 claims the method of introducing
chromosomal modifications at a locus by induction of double-stranded DNA
cleavage using a chimeric restriction endonuclease and non-homologous
end joining recombination (NHEJ).
This pivotal invention is at the basis of almost all current
nuclease-based precise gene inactivation techniques using chimeric
restriction endonuclease such as CRISPR/Cas9 and related reagents, zinc
finger nucleases, TAL effector nucleases, Mega-TALEs, some meganucleases
and others, i.e. endonucleases generated by the juxtaposition of
specific DNA binding sequences and DNA cleavage domains with a
recognition site of at least 12 base pairs. This new patent follows U.S.
patent 8,921,332 issued on December 30th, 2014, which claims the use of
chimeric restriction endonucleases for directing chromosomal gene
editing in cells by homologous recombination (HR).
Claim 1 of the U.S. patent 9,458,439:
"A method for attenuating or inactivating an endogenous gene of interest
in a cell in vitro comprising:
inducing in the cell double stranded
cleavage of chromosomal DNA at a genomic site of interest in the
specific sequence to be modified, wherein the inducing comprises
contacting the genomic site of interest with a chimeric restriction
endonuclease, said chimeric restriction endonuclease comprising a DNA
binding sequence and a DNA cleavage domain, and said restriction
endonuclease recognizing a DNA sequence of at least 12 bp, wherein said
restriction endonuclease is introduced as a protein or is encoded by a
nucleic acid vector that is expressed, thereby inducing a cellular
repair mechanism which leads to highly efficient recombinational events
at said genomic site of interest, wherein said recombinational events
introduce a mutation into said genomic site of interest, thereby
modifying the specific sequence in the chromosomal DNA of the cell and
thereby attenuating or inactivating an endogenous gene of interest in
Claim 1 of the U.S. patent 8,921,332:
"A method of modifying a specific sequence in chromosomal DNA of a cell
in vitro comprising:
inducing in the cell double stranded cleavage of
chromosomal DNA at a genomic site of interest in the specific sequence
to be modified, wherein the inducing comprises contacting the genomic
site of interest with a chimeric restriction endonuclease, said chimeric
restriction endonuclease comprising a DNA binding sequence and a DNA
cleavage domain, and said restriction endonuclease recognizing a DNA
sequence of at least 12 bp, wherein said restriction endonuclease is
introduced as a protein or is encoded by a nucleic acid vector that is
expressed; and contacting said cell with a targeting DNA or a nucleic
acid vector encoding said targeting DNA in an amount sufficient to
produce recombination between said targeting DNA and said chromosomal
DNA at the site of interest, wherein said targeting DNA comprises (1)
DNA homologous to the region surrounding the genomic site of interest
and (2) DNA which modifies the specific sequence upon recombination
between said targeting DNA and said chromosomal DNA, thereby modifying
the specific sequence in the chromosomal DNA of the cell."
Calyxt, Inc. is a fast-growing, consumer-oriented ag company that
utilizes its innovative, patented TALEN
technology to usher in a new era of agriculture and develop crop
products with healthier characteristics for consumers - all the while
helping farmers and food and agriculture industries reduce their
environmental footprints in the context of climate change. Calyxt
believes that agricultural technologies can have a profound, positive
impact on humanity and is looking to engage those who share this passion
for food and agriculture. Calyxt is located in Minneapolis-St. Paul,
Minn., and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cellectis.
For further information please visit our website: www.calyxt.com
and the corporate logo are trademarks owned by Calyxt, Inc.
Talking about gene editing? We do it.
registered trademark owned by the Cellectis Group.
Kasunich, 212-896-1241
KCSA Strategic Communications
Simon Harnest, 646-385-9008