Transformation of the medicinal basidiomycete Trametes versicolor to hygromycin B resistance by restriction enzyme mediated integration.

Trametes versicolor, a white-rot basidiomycete, degrades cellulose and lignin as well as many recalcitrant chemicals. There have been many reports about the cloning of laccase and peroxidase genes of T. versicolor which are involved in lignin degradation. In order to analyze a gene function and introduce foreign genes into an organism, genetic transformation is required. Here we have successfully transformed T. versicolor to hygromycin B resistance using pAN 7-1 plasmid by restriction enzyme mediated integration and have obtained many mutants in peroxidase activity and growing patterns. The transformation frequency was 25-50 transformants (microg plasmid DNA)(-1). The transformants were quite stable after 10 consecutive transfers in non-selectable medium.