title: Efficient transformation of Cellulomonas flavigena by electroporation and conjugation with Bacillus thuringiensis.
abstract: The conjugative self-transmissible plasmid pHT73, harbored in Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki, was demonstrated to be transferred to Cellulomonas flavigena, a cellulolytic bacterium. Both conjugation and transformation procedures yielded resistant colonies; however, chromosomal integration was observed only when bacterial conjugation occurred. The efficiency of conjugation was 10% of recipient strain, which is considered a very efficient process. When the plasmid pHT73 was introduced by transformation, erythromycin-resistant cells contained the plasmid as an episome with no arrangements, as assayed by Southern blot analysis. In contrast, conjugated-resistant cells harbor the plasmid integrated into the chromosome. These data suggest a common mechanism of cell communication between nonrelated bacterial species with similar ecological habitats, and also that both electroporation and conjugation can be used to transform C. flavigena efficiently.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biotecnología y Bioingeniería, CINVESTAV IPN. Ave. IPN 2508, San Pedro Zacatenco, CP 07360 México, DF.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Montes-Horcasitas
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Medrano
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Magaña-Plaza
authors.forename: Lidia Gómez
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Aseneth
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Herrera-Martínez
authors.forename: Lourdes
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hernández-Montalvo
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xoconostle-Cázares
mesh_terms: D001413:Bacillus thuringiensis / Q000235:genetics*; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D040143:Cellulomonas / Q000235:genetics*; D003227:Conjugation, Genetic; D018274:Electroporation; D010957:Plasmids; D014169:Transformation, Bacterial