A high efficient method for introduction of exogenous genes into Phycomyces blakesleeanus

Abstract

An efficient method is described for obtaining transformants in Phycomyces by microinjection of plasmid DNA carrying the kanamycin resistance gene from Tn903 into a young sporangium. Approximately 9% of the colonies, germinated from the spores which were developed in the sporangium, were resistant to G418 when a 36 ng sample of the transforming plasmid DNA was injected into a sporangium. The transformation efficiency (transfomants/total colonies) was about 350 times higher than that (transfomants/total protoplasts) obtained with the ordinary protoplast method.