title: New method for electroporation of Lactobacillus species grown in high salt.
abstract: We here describe a new method for electroporation of Lactobacillus species, obligately homofermentative and facultatively heterofermentative, based on the cell-wall weakening resulting from growth in high-salt media. For L. casei, optimum transformation efficiency of up to 10(5) transformants per microgram of plasmid DNA was achieved following growth in the presence of 0.9 M NaCl. Plasmids of different sizes and replication origins were also similarly transformed. These competent cells could be used either directly or stored frozen, up to 1 month, for future use, with similar efficiency. This protocol was assayed with different Lactobacillus species: L. delbrueckii subsp. lactis, L. paracasei, L. plantarum and L. acidophilus, and it was found that they were transformed with similar efficiency.
authors.affiliation: Universidad de Buenos Aires, FCEyN, Department de Química Biológica, Bs As, Argentina.
authors.forename: Maria Mercedes
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Palomino
authors.forename: Mariana C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Allievi
authors.forename: Mariano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prado-Acosta
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sanchez-Rivas
authors.forename: Sandra M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ruzal
mesh_terms: D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry*; D018274:Electroporation / Q000379:methods*; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D050296:Microbial Viability; D010957:Plasmids; D012492:Salts / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D012492:Salts