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Re: production of human growth hormone in canola, soy and corn



Hi Rick,
I include a fuller portion of the patnent application below:
[0003] Naturally occurring somatotropins are polypeptides, the amino
acid sequences of which for a number of vertebrate species have been
reported. These include bovine (Miller et al., 1980, J. Biol. Chem, 255,
7251) porcine (Seeburg et al., 1983, DNA 2: 37), human (U.S. Pat. No.
3,853,832; Martial et al., Science, 205: 602-617) and various piscine
somatotropins (e.g.: Sekine et al., 1985. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA),
82: 4306-4310; Agellon et al., 1988, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA), 85:
5136-5140; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,689,402 and 4,894,362). In general,
somatotropins isolated from different species display a high degree of
amino acid sequence identity (Chang et al., 1992, Gen. and Comp.
Endocrin. 87: 385-393). Analogs of somatotropins are also known.
European Patent Application 103 395, for example discloses bovine
somatotropin analogs. These analogs typically relate to the insertion,
addition or deletion of nucleotides of the somatotropin gene thereby
creating a protein different from the naturally occurring somatotropin.

[0004] The preparation of somatotropins is well known in the art. Bovine
somatotropin, for example can be prepared by extraction from the
pituitary tissue, (Li et al., 1954, J. Biol. Chem. 211: 55 and U.S. Pat.
No. 4,371,462). Somatotropins can also be prepared by production in
genetically engineered microorganisms, such as Escherichia coli
containing recombinant DNA which encodes a somatotropin polypeptide
(e.g. Seeburg et al., 1978, Nature). U.S. Pat. No. 4,443,549 discloses a
method for producing bovine somatotropin in yeast cells. Methods for
high yield bovine somatotropin production in microorganisms are
disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,240,837 and 5,489,529.

[0005] Similarly, the preparation of human somatotropin is known. For
example U.S. Pat. No. 5,637,495 and Mukhija et al. (Gene 165: 303-306)
teach the production of human growth hormone in E. coli.

[0006] Fish somatotropins have also been produced in a variety of
microorganisms. U.S. Pat. No. 5,270,180 for example discloses a method
for the production of salmon growth hormone in E. coli and yeast and in
U.S. Pat. No. 4,894,362 a microbial production system for eel growth
hormone is disclosed.

[0007] The low costs associated with growing plants, make plants an
attractive host for the production of somatotropins. To the best of the
present inventors knowledge only one attempt has been reported to
produce a somatotropin in plants. Bosch et al. (Transgenic Research,
1994, 3: 304-310) expressed a trout growth hormone in the leaves of
transgenic tobacco plants, however they were unsuccessful in
accumulating somatotropin in seeds.

[0008] Although methods for producing somatotropins are well known to
skilled artisans, the existing methods are relatively expensive,
especially when large production volumes are required. Accordingly there
is a need in the art for additional economical production methods of
somatotropin.
My understanding was that the patent application was for growth hormone
from cattle, human and fish.
Sincerely, Joe

Rick Hopkins wrote:
<<The patent application below is for the production of animal  growth
hormones in canola and other crops. Bovine growth hormone is used
extensively in USA to increase milk production while human growth
hormone has both legal and illegal applications....>>

How do you tell from the report that this particular version of Somatotropin
is bovine?

It appears that Somatotropin is very specific in type.

http://www.ifst.org/hottop8a.htm

http://www.nal.usda.gov/bic/BST/ndd/USE_OF_BOVINE_SOMATOTROPIN_IN_DAIRY_PROD
UCTION.html

Rick H.


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