Cotransformation of Aspergillus nidulans: a tool for replacing fungal genes

Summary When a non-selected DNA sequence was added during the transformation of amdS320 deletion strains of Aspergillus nidulans with a vector containing the wild-type amdS gene the AmdS⁺ transformants were cotransformed at a high frequency. Cotransformation of an amdS320, trpC801 double mutant strain showed that both the molar ratio of the two vectors and the concentration of the cotransforming vector affected the cotransformation frequency. The maximum frequency obtained was defined by the gene chosen as selection marker for transformation. Cotransformation was used to induce a gene replacement in A. nidulans. An amdS320 strain was transformed to AmdS⁺ and cotransformed with a DNA fragment containing a fusion between a non-functional A. nidulans trpC gene and the Escherichia coli lacZ gene. Ten AmdS⁺, LacZ⁺ transformants with a Trp^– mutant phenotype were selected. All of these strains could be transformed with a functional copy of the A. nidulans trpC gene, but only two strains yielded TrpC⁺ transformants which, with a low frequency, had a LacZ^– phenotype. These latter transformants had also lost the AmdS⁺ phenotype. Southern blotting analysis of DNA from these transformants confirmed the inactivation of the wild-type trpC gene, but revealed that amdS vector sequences were also involved in the gene replacement events.     

DNA-mediated transformation system in a bipolar basidiomycete, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pholiota microspora</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">P. nameko</Emphasis>)

We cloned a gene encoding the succinate dehydrogenase iron-sulfur protein subunit (sip) from a bipolar mushroom, Pholiota microspora, and introduced a point mutation that confers carboxin resistance into this gene. Using this homologous selective marker and also a heterologous drug selective marker, the hygromycin B phosphotransferase gene (hph), we successfully constructed a DNA-mediated transformation system in P. microspora. Both these selection markers have high transformation efficiency: the efficiency of carboxin resistance transformation was about 88.8 transformants/μg pMBsip2 DNA using 5 × 10⁶ protoplasts in regeneration plates containing 1.0 μg/ml carboxin, and the efficiency of hygromycin B resistance transformation was about 122.4 transformants/μg pMBhph1 DNA using 5 × 10⁶ protoplasts in regeneration plates containing 150 μg/ml hygromycin B. Southern hybridization analysis showed that the introduced sequence (mutant sip or hph) was integrated into the chromosomal DNA in these transformants with a copy number of one or more.     

Overexpression of the Chitosanase Gene in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fusarium solani</Emphasis> via <Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">tumefaciens</Emphasis>-Mediated Transformation

To overexpress the chitosanase gene (csn) in F. solani, a vector based on pCAMBIA 1300 was constructed. The csn gene, which is under control of the Aspergillus nidulans gpdA promoter and A. nidulans trpC terminator, was introduced back into the F. solani genome by Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation, and the herbicide-resistance gene bar from Streptomyces hygroscopicus was used as the selection marker. Transformants which showed a significant increase in chitosanase production (~2.1-fold than control) were obtained. Southern blot analysis indicated that most transformants had a single-copy T-DNA integration.     

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated genetic transformation of the white root rot ascomycete Rosellinia necatrix

Hygromycin B resistance was conferred to the mycelium of the white root rot fungus Rosellinia necatrix by transformation with the hygromycin B phosphotransferase gene (hph) of Escherichia coli under the control of the heterologous fungal Aspergillus nidulans P-gpd (glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase) promoter and the trpC terminator. In all three transformants, the presence of hph and single-copy integrations of the marker gene were demonstrated by Southern analysis. This is the first report describing A. tumefaciens-mediated transformation of R. necatrix     

Transformation System for Aspergillus oryzae with Double Auxotrophic Mutations,niaD and sC

We developed a transformation system for Aspergillus oryzae using the Aspergillus nidulans sC gene encoding ATP sulfurylase as a selectable marker. The sC^? mutants can be readily isolated by positive selection for selenate resistance, thereby the niaD^? mutant strain of A. oryzae was bestowed with the sC^? mutation. Transformation of the A. oryzae host (niaD^?,sC^?) with the plasmid carrying A. nidulans sC gave random and multi-copy integrants, while that with the A. oryzae niaD-carrying plasmid occurred mainly by single-copy and homologous integration events (more than 50% frequency), indicating that with this transformation system, the transformation marker could be selected according to the integration pattern one desires.     

A dominant selection system designed for copy-number-controlled gene integration in Hansenula polymorpha DL-1

To facilitate the selection of multiple gene integrants in Hansenula polymorpha, a rapid and copy-number-controlled selection system was developed using a vector containing a telomeric autonomous replication sequence and the bacterial aminoglycoside 3-phosphotransferase (APH) gene. Direct use of the unmodified APH gene as a dominant selectable marker resulted in the extremely slow growth of transformants and the frequent selection of spontaneous resistance. For the proper performance of the APHgene, a set of deleted glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) promoters of H. polymorpha were fused to the APH gene. The fusion construct with the 578-bp GAPDH promoter conferred G418 resistance sufficient to allow rapid growth of transformants, and thus facilitated the selection of transformants with up to 15 tandem copies of the vector. To increase further the integration copy number within the gene-dose-dependent range, the GAPDHpromoter was serially deleted down to the −61 nucleotide. With this weak expression cassette, the integration copy number could easily be controlled between 1 and 50. Tandemly integrated copies of plasmids near the end of the chromosome were mitotically stable over l50 generations. The dosage-dependent selection system of this study would provide a powerful tool for the development of H. polymorpha as an industrial strain to produce recombinant proteins. Received: 23 October 1998 / Received revision: 6 January 1999 / Accepted: 22 January 1999     

Transformation of a filamentous fungus<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cryphonectria parasitica</Emphasis> using<Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium tumefaciens</Emphasis>

AsAgrobacterium tumefaciens, which has long been used to transform plants, is known to transfer T-DNA to budding yeast,Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a variety of fungi were subjected to theA. tumefaciens-mediated transformation to improve their transformation frequency and feasibility. TheA. tumefaciens-mediated transformation of chestnut blight fungus,Cryphonectria parasitica, is performed in this study as the first example of transformation of a hardwood fungal pathogen. The transfer of the binary vector pBIN9-Hg, containing the bacterial hygromycin B phosphotransferase gene under the control of theAspergillus nidulans trpC promoter and terminator, as a selectable marker, led to the selection of more than 1,000 stable, hygromycin B-resistant transformants per 1×10⁶ conidia ofC. parasitica. The putative transformants appeared to be mitotically stable. The transformation efficiency appears to depend on the bacterial strain, age of the bacteria cell culture and ratio of fungal spores to bacterial cells. PCR and Southern blot analysis indicated that the marker gene was inserted at different chromosomal sites. Moreover, three transformants out of ten showed more than two hybridizing bands, suggesting more than two copies of the inserted marker gene are not uncommon.     

Transformation of the filamentous fungus Gibberella fujikuroi using the Aspergillus niger niaD gene encoding nitrate reductase

Summary A transformation system for Gibberella fujikuroi based on the Aspergillus niger nitrate reductase gene (niaD) was developed. A strain (designated SG140) carrying a non-reverting niaD mutation (niaD11) was generated by screening mutagenised cells for non-growth on nitrate as sole nitrogen source. Transformation frequencies of 1–2 transformants per g DNA were observed when strain SG140 was transformed to nitrate utilisation. Southern blot analyses of niaD⁺ transformants showed that the vector DNA sequences were integrated into the chromosomal DNA. The results demonstrate that the A. niger niaD gene is expressed in G. fujikuroi.     

Chromosomal Location Plays a Role in Regulation of Aflatoxin Gene Expression in Aspergillus parasiticus

The nor-1 gene in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus parasiticus encodes a ketoreductase involved in aflatoxin biosynthesis. To study environmental influences on nor-1 expression, we generated plasmid pAPGUSNNB containing a nor-1 promoter-β-glucuronidase (GUS) (encoded by uidA) reporter fusion with niaD (encodes nitrate reductase) as a selectable marker. niaD transformants of A. parasiticus strain NR-1 (niaD) carried pAPGUSNNB integrated predominantly at the nor-1 or niaD locus. Expression of the native nor-1 and nor-1::GUS reporter was compared in transformants grown under aflatoxin-inducing conditions by Northern and Western analyses and by qualitative and quantitative GUS activity assays. The timing and level of nor-1 promoter function with pAPGUSNNB integrated at nor-1 was similar to that observed for the native nor-1 gene. In contrast, nor-1 promoter activity in pAPGUSNNB and a second nor-1::GUS reporter construct, pBNG3.0, was not detectable when integration occurred at niaD. Because niaD-dependent regulation could account for the absence of expression at niaD, a third chromosomal location was analyzed using pAPGUSNP, which contained nor-1::GUS plus pyrG (encodes OMP decarboxylase) as a selectable marker. GUS expression was detectable only when pAPGUSNP integrated at nor-1 and was not detectable at pyrG, even under growth conditions that required pyrG expression. nor-1::GUS is regulated similarly to the native nor-1 gene when it is integrated at its homologous site within the aflatoxin gene cluster but is not expressed at native nor-1 levels at two locations outside of the aflatoxin gene cluster. We conclude that the GUS reporter system can be used effectively to measure nor-1 promoter activity and that nor-1 is subject to position-dependent regulation in the A. parasiticus chromosome.     

Genetic modification of industrial yeast strains to obtain controllable NewFlo flocculation property and lower diacetyl production

The expression cassette I10 containing the new-found flocculation gene, FLONS, was transformed into an industrial strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae YSF5. Upstream activating sequences of the S. cerevisiae alcohol dehydrogenase II (ADH2) gene promoter (P_U-ADH2) were used to regulate the expression of FLONS; α-acetolactate synthase gene ILV2 was chosen for homologous recombination of I10 to the YSF5 chromosome; copper binding metallothionein (encoded by CUP1) was used for selection of transformants. Ten randomly selected transformants exhibited increased flocculation ability of 1.5 to 2.3 fold more than the original strain. Based on their sensitivity to glucose, maltose and sucrose, flocculation property of the transformants was supported to be NewFlo-type. After successive subculture, the introduced CUP1 remained in the transformants. At the end of simulated fermentation test, diacetyl content of the culture media of 5I-1 was 0.45 g l⁻¹, lower than YSF5 (0.48 g l⁻¹).     

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of the endophytic fungus Acremonium implicatum associated with Brachiaria grasses

Acremonium implicatum is a seed-transmitted endophytic fungus that forms symbiotic associations with the economically significant tropical forage grasses, Brachiaria species. To take advantage of the endophyte's plant protective properties, we developed an efficient Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system for Acremonium implicatum, using green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression and vector pSK1019 (trpC promoter) or pCAMBIA1300 (CaMV35S promoter). We found that transformation efficiency doubled for both mycelial and conidial transformation as the co-cultivation period for Agrobacterium tumefaciens and Acremonium implicatum was increased from 48 to 72 h. Significantly, optimal results were obtained for either mycelial or conidial transformation with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain AGL-1 and vector pSK1019 under the control of the trpC promoter. However, mycelial transformation consistently generated a significantly higher number of transformants than did conidial transformation. The mitotic stability of the transferred DNA was confirmed by growing ten transformants in liquid and agar media for six generations. In all cases, resistance to the selection pressure (hygromycin B) was maintained. Fluorescence emission was retained by the transformants and also expressed in Brachiaria tissues from plants inoculated with GFP-transformed A. implicatum. This technology will help in the transfer and expression of agronomically important genes in host plants.     

Efficient Electrotransformation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Corynebacterium diphtheriae</Emphasis> with a Mini-Replicon Derived from the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Corynebacterium glutamicum</Emphasis> Plasmid pGA1

Efficient transformation of the human pathogen Corynebacterium diphtheriae was achieved with novel cloning vectors consisting of a mini-replicon from the cryptic C. glutamicum plasmid pGA1 as well as of the aph(3′)-IIa or tetA(Z) antibiotic resistance genes. Plasmid-containing transformants of C. diphtheriae were recovered at frequencies ranging from 1.3 × 10⁵ to 4.8 × 10⁶ colony forming units (cfu)/μg of plasmid DNA. Vector DNA was directly transferred from Escherichia coli into C. diphtheriae with frequencies up to 5.6 × 10⁵ cfu/μg of plasmid DNA. On the basis of the pGA1 mini-replicon, an expression vector system was established for C. diphtheriae by means of the P _tac promoter and the green fluorescent reporter protein. In addition, other commonly used vector systems from C. glutamicum, including the pBL1 and pHM1519 replicons, and the sacB conditionally lethal selection marker from Bacillus subtilis, were shown to be functional in C. diphtheriae. Thus, the ability to apply the standard methods of C. glutamicum recombinant DNA technology will greatly facilitate the functional analysis of the recently completed C. diphtheriae genome sequence. Received: 26 November 2001 / Accepted: 15 February 2002     

Detection of nptII (kanamycin resistance) genes in genomes of transgenic plants by marker-rescue transformation

We have developed a novel system for the sensitive detection of nptII genes (kanamycin resistance determinants) including those present in transgenic plant genomes. The assay is based on the recombinational repair of an nptII gene with an internal 10-bp deletion located on a plasmid downstream of a bacterial promoter. Uptake of an nptII gene by transformation restores kanamycin resistance. In Escherichia coli, promoterless nptII genes provided by electroporation were rescued with high efficiency in a RecA-dependent recombinational process. For the rescue of nptII genes present in chromosomal plant DNA, the system was adapted to natural transformation, which favours the uptake of linear DNA. When competent Acinetobacter sp. BD413 (formerly A. calcoaceticus) cells containing the mutant nptII gene on a plasmid were transformed with DNA from various transgenic plants carrying nptII as a marker gene (Solanum tuberosum, Nicotiana tabacum, Beta vulgaris, Brassica napus, Lycopersicon esculentum), kanamycin-resistant transformants were obtained roughly in proportion to the concentration of nptII genes in the plant DNA. The rescue of nptII genes occurred in the presence of a more than 6 × 10⁶-fold excess of plant DNA. Only 18 ng of potato DNA (2.5 × 10³ genome equivalents, each with one copy of nptII) was required to produce one kanamycin-resistant transformant. These experiments and others employing DNA isolated from soil samples demonstrate that the system allows reliable and highly sensitive monitoring of nptII genes in transgenic plant DNA and in DNA from environmental sources, such as soil, without the need for prior DNA amplification (e.g. by PCR). Received: 20 May 1997 / Accepted: 17 October 1997     

Plasmids for efficient single-copy gene cloning into gdh2 and trpC of Bacillus megaterium DSM319 and QM B1551

We constructed integrative plasmids to place xylA-lacZ indicator gene fusions into two different loci of the Bacillus megaterium chromosome, gdh2 and trpC, in lac mutants of strains DSM 319 and QM B1551, which differ markedly. Single-crossover integration was achieved in all cases while double crossovers occurred only in gdh2 of DSM 319 and QM B1551 and in trpC of QM B1551. Neither of the loci affected regulation of the xylA-lacZ fusions. These results confirm the suitability of the two gene loci for single-copy cloning. Received: 28 October 1996 / Received revision: 29 December 1996 / Accepted: 4 January 1997     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium tumefaciens</Emphasis>-mediated transformation of the violet root-rot fungus, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Helicobasidium mompa</Emphasis>, and the effect of activated carbon

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT) has been successfully applied to the violet root-rot fungus Helicobasidium mompa, which is the causal agent of violet root-rot disease. The A. tumefaciens strains carried a binary plasmid vector containing the hygromycin B phosphotransferase gene (hph) controlled by the heterologous fungal Agaricus bisporus P-gpd (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) promoter and the trpC terminator. The transformation system was optimized using defined cocultivation conditions. When H. mompa strain V17 was cocultivated with A. tumefaciens strain AGL-1 using 5% agar, we obtained more hygromycin-resistant colonies than with strains EHA105 or MAFF301222 using 2% agar. In addition, our results suggest that the activated carbon is necessary in ATMT to reduce background growth of H. mompa. The presence of the hph gene in transformants was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and single-copy integration of the marker gene was demonstrated by Southern blot analysis. Thus, the ATMT system can be considered a promising tool for insertional mutagenesis studies of H. mompa.     

Increased transformation frequency and tagging of developmental genes in Aspergillus nidulans by restriction enzyme-mediated integration (REMI)

We have used a plasmid containing the argB gene to transform an Aspergillus nidulansargB-deleted strain in the presence of restriction enzymes and show a 20- to 60-fold increase in transformation frequency via restriction enzyme-mediated integration (REMI). This procedure was used to try to tag new genes involved in the asexual development of this fungus. More than 2000 transformants isolated following electroporation of conidia and ∼3700 transformants recovered following protoplast fusion were screened for sporulation defects. Unexpectedly, developmental mutants were obtained only when the protoplast fusion approach was used. Southern blot analysis of these mutants, and of randomly selected transformants obtained by electroporation, was consistent with the occurrence of single plasmid integration events in 33 and 65% of the cases, respectively. The argB marker was shown to be tightly linked to the mutant phenotype in only 62% of the mutants analyzed by sexual crosses. Partial DNA sequencing of a tagged gene, whose mutation delays asexual sporulation and results in a fluffy phenotype, showed no homology to previously reported sequences. Our results indicate that REMI can be used in A. nidulans to increase the transformation frequency and illustrate the advantages and potential problems when using REMI to tag genes of interest in this and other fungi. Received: 22 August 1997 / Accepted: 20 November 1997     

Dissociation (Ds) constructs, mapped Ds launch pads and a transiently-expressed transposase system suitable for localized insertional mutagenesis in rice

We have developed a transiently-expressed transposase (TET)-mediated Dissociation (Ds) insertional mutagenesis system for generating stable insertion lines in rice which will allow localized mutagenesis of a chromosomal region. In this system, a Ds containing T-DNA construct was used to produce Ds launch pad lines. Callus tissues, from single-copy Ds/T-DNA lines, were then transiently infected with Agrobacterium harbouring an immobile Ac (iAc) construct, also containing a green fluorescent protein gene (sgfpS65T) as the visual marker. We have regenerated stable Ds insertion lines at a frequency of 9–13% using selection for Ds excision and GFP counter selection against iAc and nearly half of them were unique insertion lines. Double transformants (iAc/Ds) were also obtained and their progeny yielded ~10% stable insertion lines following excision and visual marker screening with 50% redundancy. In general, more than 50% of the Ds reinsertions were within 1 cM of the launch pad. We have produced a large number of single-copy Ds/T-DNA launch pads distributed over the rice chromosomes and have further refined the Ds/T-DNA construct to enrich for “clean” single-copy T-DNA insertions. The availability of single copy “clean” Ds/T-DNA launch pads will facilitate chromosomal region-directed insertion mutagenesis. This system provides an opportunity for distribution of gene tagging tasks among collaborating laboratories on the basis of chromosomal locations. Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available for this article at and is accessible for authorized users.     

The NADP-dependent Glutamate Dehydrogenase Gene from the Astaxanthin Producer <Emphasis Type="Italic">Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous:</Emphasis> Use of Its Promoter for Controlled Gene Expression

The gdhA gene encoding the NADP-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) activity from Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous has been cloned and characterized, and its promoter used for controlled gene expression in this red-pigmented heterobasidiomycetous yeast. We determined the nucleotide sequence of a 4701 bp DNA genomic fragment, showing an open reading frame of 1871 bp interrupted by five introns with fungal consensus splice-site junctions. The predicted protein (455 amino acids; 49 kDa) revealed high identity to GDHs, especially to those from the fungi Cryptococcus neoformans (70%), Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (66%), and several species of Aspergillus (66–67%). Gene phylogenies support the grouping of X. dendrorhous GDH close to those from the majority of the filamentous fungi. The promoter region of the gdhA gene (PgdhA) contains a TATA-like box and two large pyrimidine stretches. The use of PgdhA for gene expression was validated by electrotransformation of X. dendrorhous using an in-frame fusion with the hygromycin resistance gene (hyg ^R) as a reporter. X. dendrorhous transformants were able to grow in YEME complex medium and in Czapek minimal medium supplemented with 50 μg/ml hygromycin, but gene expression in Czapek medium was repressed when using ammonium acetate as a nitrogen source. PgdhA is a valuable tool for controlled gene expression in Basidiomycetes.     

Reversible inactivation of a foreign gene, hph, during the asexual cycle in Neurospora crassa transformants

Summary A plasmid construct carrying the hygromycin phosphotransferase (hph) gene fused to the expression elements of the trpC gene of Aspergillus nidulans was used to obtain hygromycin B (Hyg)-resistant transformants of Neurospora crassa. The plasmid does not have any homology with the N. crassa genome. Here we demonstrate that most of the transformants arise from integration of the transforming DNA into only one of the nuclei present in the protoplasts. Furthermore, in most of the transformants the integrated transforming DNA is physically stable after growth of the transformants for about 25 nuclear divisions without Hyg selection, in spite of being present in multiple copies. In transformants carrying only a single insertion, phenotypic expression of the hph gene remains unaltered in conidial isolates obtained withoug Hyg selection. On the other hand, about 40% of transformants harbouring plasmid DNA integrated at more than one location yield conidial isolates showing reversible inactivation of the hph genes. Interestingly, the presence of methylated cytosine residues in the integrated DNA is strongly correlated with the number of plasmid copies. The hph genes are heavily methylated in transformants harbouring multiple copies but not in those harbouring only one copy of the plasmid. Phenotypic expression of the inactive hph genes can be restored by growing the transformants either under Hyg selection pressure or in the presence of 5-azacytidine. In the first case the hph genes are again inactivated when Hyg selection pressure is removed, while the activation of the hph gene by 5-azacytidine gives stable Hyg^r strains.Dedicated to Dr. T.A. Trautner on the occasion of his 60^th birthday