Transformation of Methylobacterium extorquens with a Broad-Host-Range Plasmid by Electroporation

Abstract

In genetic studies with methylotrophic bacteria as the host organisms, the conjugative transfer system has been widely used for introducing DNA molecules into the cells. Since this system is sometimes technically cumbersome and time-consuming, electroporation technique has now been developed in order to introduce DNA molecules into some types of cells such as mammalian cells, plant protoplasts, yeast cells, and bacterial cells. However, an electric transformation for methylotrophic bacteria has been very seldom reported. Here, the electropolation system is applied to introduce a broad-host-range plasmid pLA2917 into a methylotrophic bacterium Methylobacterium extorquens, as a model system.