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- Appendix AI Administrative Instructions Under the PCT
Other Available Information in the Sequence Listing
23. The order of the items of information in the sequence listings shall follow the order in which those items are listed in the list of numeric identifiers of data elements as defined in Appendix 1.
24. Only numeric identifiers of data elements as defined in Appendix 1 shall be used for the presentation of the items of information in the sequence listing. The corresponding numeric identifier descriptions shall not be used. The provided information shall follow immediately after the numeric identifier while only those numeric identifiers for which information is given need appear on the sequence listing. Two exceptions to this requirement are numeric identifiers <220> and <300>, which serve as headers for "Feature" and "Publication Information," respectively, and are associated with information in numeric identifiers <221> to <223> and <301> to <313>, respectively. When feature and publication information is provided in the sequence listing under those numeric identifiers, numeric identifiers <220> and <300>, respectively, should be included, but left blank. Generally, a blank line shall be inserted between numeric identifiers when the digit in the first or second position of the numeric identifier changes. An exception to this general rule is that no blank line should appear preceding numeric identifier <310>. Additionally, a blank line shall precede any repeated numeric identifier.
Mandatory Data Elements
25. The sequence listing shall include, in addition to and immediately preceding the actual nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence, the following items of information defined in Appendix 1 (mandatory data elements).
<110> Applicant name <120> Title of invention <160> Number of SEQ ID NOs <210> SEQ ID NO: x <211> Length <212> Type <213> Organism <400> Sequence Where the name of the applicant (numeric identifier <110>) is written in characters other than those of the Latin alphabet, it shall also be indicated in characters of the Latin alphabet either as a mere transliteration or through translation into English.
The data elements, except those under numeric identifiers <110>, <120> and <160>, shall be repeated for each sequence included in the sequence listing. Only the data elements under numeric identifiers <120> and <400> are mandatory if no sequence is present for a sequence identifier (see paragraph 5, above, and SEQ ID NO: 4 in the example depicted in Appendix 3 of this Standard).
26. In addition to the data elements identified in paragraph 25, above, when a sequence listing is filed at the same time as the application to which it pertains or at any time prior to the assignment of an application number, the following data element shall be included in the sequence listing.
<130> File reference 27. In addition to the data elements identified in paragraph 25, above, when a sequence listing is filed in response to a request from a competent Authority or at any time following the assignment of an application number, the following data elements shall be included in the sequence listing.
<140> Current patent application <141> Current filing date 28. In addition to the data elements identified in paragraph 25, above, when a sequence listing is filed relating to an application which claims the priority of an earlier application, the following data elements shall be included in the sequence listing:
<150> Earlier patent application <151> Earlier application filing date 29. If "n" or "Xaa" or a modified base or modified/unusual L-amino acid is used in the sequence, the following data elements are mandatory:
<220> Feature <221> Name/key <222> Location <223> Other information 30. If the organism (numeric identifier <213>) is "Artificial Sequence" or "Unknown," the following data elements are mandatory:
<220> Feature <223> Other information Optional Data Elements
31. All data elements defined in Appendix 1, not mentioned in paragraphs 25 to 30, above, are optional (optional data elements).
Presentation of Features
32. When features of sequences are presented (that is, numeric identifier <220>), they shall be described by the "feature keys" set out in Appendix 2, Tables 5 and 6.
Editor's Note: These tables contain extracts from the DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank Feature Table (nucleotide sequences) and the SWISS PROT Feature Table (amino acid sequences).
Free Text
33. "Free text" is a wording describing characteristics of the sequence under numeric identifier <223> (Other information) which does not use language-neutral vocabulary as referred to in paragraph 2(vii).
34. The use of free text shall be limited to a few short terms indispensable for the understanding of the sequence. It shall not exceed four lines with a maximum of 65 characters per line for each given data element, when written in English. Any further information shall be included in the main part of the description in the language thereof.
35. Any free text should preferably be in the English language.
36. Where the sequence listing part of the description contains free text, any such free text shall be repeated in the main part of the description in the language thereof. It is recommended that the free text in the language of the main part of the description be put in a specific section of the description called "Sequence Listing Free Text."
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