title: A convenient and reproducible method to genetically transform bacteria of the genus Bifidobacterium.
abstract: A protocol was developed for the introduction of foreign plasmid DNA into various Bifidobacterium strains. The method, which is applicable to all Bifidobacterium species tested so far, is based on electroporation of bacteria made competent by preincubation in electroporation buffer for several hours at 4 degrees C. Transformation of Bifidobacterium could be achieved with a plasmid vector originating from Bifidobacterium and with plasmid vectors from Corynebacterium, but not with vectors carrying replicons from Lactococcus or Lactobacillus.
authors.affiliation: TNO Nutrition and Food Research Institute, Department of Molecular Genetics and Gene Technology, PO Box 5815, 2280 HV Rijswijk, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Argnani
authors.affiliation: TNO Nutrition and Food Research Institute, Department of Molecular Genetics and Gene Technology, PO Box 5815, 2280 HV Rijswijk, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Rob J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Leer
authors.affiliation: TNO Nutrition and Food Research Institute, Department of Molecular Genetics and Gene Technology, PO Box 5815, 2280 HV Rijswijk, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: van Luijk
authors.affiliation: TNO Nutrition and Food Research Institute, Department of Molecular Genetics and Gene Technology, PO Box 5815, 2280 HV Rijswijk, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Peter H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Pouwels
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000235:genetics*; D003352:Corynebacterium / Q000235:genetics; D004261:DNA Replication; D018274:Electroporation; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000235:genetics; D017045:Lactococcus / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010957:Plasmids; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013045:Species Specificity; D014170:Transformation, Genetic