Transformation of Bacillus subtilis PB1424 by Electroporation

Abstract

Bacillus subtilis is a potential model system for biochemical and genetic engineering of Gram-positive bacteria and represents an attractive host for the extracellular production of foreign proteins. Several species of the Bacillus genus have been successfully electroporated: B. subtilis (Brigidi et al 1990, Ohse et al 1995, Ohse et al 1997), B. thuringiensis (Bone and Ellar 1989, Shurter et al 1989), B. cereus (Belliveau and Trevors 1989, Shurter et al 1989), B. amyloliquefaciens (Vehmaapera 1989), B. stearothermophilus (Narumi et al 1992), B. sphaericus (Taylor and Burke 1990), B. brevis (Takagi et al 1989), B. licheniformis spea (Brigidi et al 1991) and B. anthracis (Quinn and Dancer 1990). Although the plasmid transformation of B. subtilis can be accomplished either with competent cells or by protoplasts in presence of polyethylene glycol, electroporation is sometimes the preferred method because it is less tedious and time consuming.