US 10947555

US Patent 10947555, titled "Herbicide resistance genes," was issued on March 16, 2021, from an application filed on October 7, 2016. The inventors are Terry Wright, Justin Lira, Donald Merlo, and Nicole Arnold. The patent was originally assigned to Dow AgroSciences LLC and is currently assigned to Corteva Agriscience LLC.

Abstract:
The invention provides novel plants resistant to both 2,4-D and aryloxyphenoxypropionate (AOPP) herbicides, a property achieved through the introduction of a single gene, AAD-1. These plants can also be "stacked" with other herbicide resistance genes (e.g., glyphosate, imidazolinone, glufosinate resistance) to offer broader weed control options. The invention includes monocot and dicot plants tolerant to 2,4-D, AOPP, and other commercial herbicides, as well as vectors containing the necessary nucleic acid sequences. Methods for using these tolerant plants and herbicide combinations for weed control and preventing weed population shifts are also disclosed.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1: This claim describes a method for controlling weeds in an area where a plant is growing or is to be planted. The method involves applying an aryloxyalkanoate herbicide to that area. Crucially, the plant in question must be genetically modified to contain an AAD-1 gene, which produces an AAD-1 protein with at least 95% amino acid identity to SEQ ID NO:11, making the plant resistant to the herbicide, thus allowing weed control without significant damage to the crop.
• Claim 10: This claim covers a transgenic plant itself. The plant is resistant to an aryloxyalkanoate herbicide because it contains an AAD-1 gene that expresses an AAD-1 protein having at least 95% amino acid sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:11.
• Claim 16: This claim covers a plant cell that is resistant to an aryloxyalkanoate herbicide. The resistance comes from the cell containing an AAD-1 gene expressing an AAD-1 protein with at least 95% amino acid sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:11.
• Claim 17: This claim describes a method for creating a transgenic plant resistant to an aryloxyalkanoate herbicide. The method involves taking a plant cell, transforming it with an AAD-1 gene that expresses an AAD-1 protein (having at least 95% amino acid identity to SEQ ID NO:11), and then regenerating a whole plant from that transformed cell.
• Claim 21: This claim describes an isolated nucleic acid molecule. This molecule contains a DNA sequence that codes for an AAD-1 protein. This AAD-1 protein must have at least 95% amino acid sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:11 and provide resistance to both phenoxy auxin and aryloxyphenoxypropionate (AOPP) herbicides. The DNA sequence itself is optimized for better expression in a plant.
• Claim 22: This claim covers a DNA construct specifically designed to make an AAD-1 protein in a plant cell. It includes a promoter that works in plants, the isolated nucleic acid molecule from Claim 21, and a plant-functional transcription termination sequence.
• Claim 25: This claim covers a recombinant expression vector that incorporates the DNA construct described in Claim 22.
• Claim 26: This claim covers a host cell, which can be a plant cell or a microorganism, that contains the recombinant expression vector of Claim 25.
• Claim 27: This claim covers a transgenic plant cell that specifically contains the recombinant expression vector of Claim 25.
• Claim 28: This claim covers a transgenic plant, or seeds produced by such a plant, which contains the transgenic plant cell described in Claim 27.
• Claim 30: This claim describes a method for detecting the specific nucleic acid molecule of Claim 21 in a sample. It involves using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) with a particular pair of primers (SEQ ID NO:25 and SEQ ID NO:26) to amplify a part of the nucleic acid molecule.

Litigation Information (as of 2026-06-24, per Google Patents):
US Patent 10947555 has been involved in litigation. Key details include:

• A first worldwide family litigation has been filed.
• A PTAB case, IPR2024-00179, has been filed and has reached a Final Written Decision.
• Another PTAB case, IPR2023-01036, is currently pending and has been instituted.
• A US case was filed in the Delaware District Court (case number 1:22-cv-01046).
• A US case was filed in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (case number 25-1466).
• The legal status of the patent is listed as "Expired - Lifetime", with an expiration date of January 14, 2026.