Agritope, Inc. reported that it has received four new U.S. patents which include coverage of genes, promoters (gene regulators) and technology for extending the post harvest shelf life of fruits and vegetables. Three of these patents are directly related to Agritope's mission of utilizing plant biotechnology to create improved varieties of fruits and vegetables. The fourth patent has been licensed to AgraQuest, Inc. and Agritope will receive a royalty on sales of the product, according to Adolph J. Ferro, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer.

Ferro stated, "These new patents further strengthen Agritope's strong intellectual property position and confirm that our leadership in the application of plant biotechnology to fruits and vegetables for the benefit of growers, shippers, processors, retailers and consumers. Developing proprietary technologies and maintaining freedom to operate are major elements of our commercialization strategy."

Two of the patents (U.S. Patent Nos. 5,723,746 and 5,750,864) cover the regulation of the SAMase gene in plants. These patents further extend the coverage provided by two previously issued patents to include the regulation of the gene by fruit specific promoters. These technologies also cover methods for extending the post harvest shelf life and for delaying the wound-induced decaying of fruits and vegetables. The third patent (U.S. Patent No. 5,750,870) covers methods for genetically transforming a wide va.riety of plants and is particularly useful in transforming woody species.

The technology covered by U.S. patent No. 5,753,222 has been licensed to AgraQuest, Inc. of Davis, California. AgraQuest, a biopesticide company, plans to submit a U.S. registration application for this bacterium-based biofungicide, named Sonata(TM) , and hopes to receive approval in time for the 1999 growing season.

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