Transient expression of a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene following transfection of Physarum polycephalum myxamoebae.

A plasmid was constructed containing a replication origin sequence from the Physarum ribosomal DNA molecule, and a bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene linked to a putative promoter of the long terminal repeat (LTR) of the Physarum "HpaII-repeat" element. The plasmid was transfected into Physarum myxamoebae either by electroporation or CaCl2 treatment. In both cases significant transient levels of CAT gene expression were detected. Results were compared with those obtained with plasmids in which CAT gene expression was driven by eukaryotic virus promoters.