Summary
The development of a homologous transformation system for Aspergillus niger is described. The system is based on the use of an orotidine-5′-phosphate decarboxylase deficient mutant (pyrG) and a vector, pAB4-1, which contains the functional A. niger pyrG gene as a selection marker. Transformation of the A. niger pyrG mutant with pAB4-1 resulted in the appearance of stable Pyr+ transformants at a frequency of 40 transformants per μg of DNA. In 90% of these transformants integration had occurred at the resident pyrG locus, resulting either in replacement of the mutant allele by the wild-type allele (60%) or in insertion of one or two copies of the vector (40%). The A. niger pyrG mutant could also be transformed with the vector pDJB2 containing the pyr4 gene of Neurospora crassa, at a frequency of 2 transformants per μg of DNA. Integration at the resident pyrG locus was not found with this vector. The vector pAB4-1 is also capable of transforming an Aspergillus nidulans pyrG mutant to Pyr+. The pyrG transformation system was used for the introduction of a non-selectable gene into A. niger.
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Communicated by C.P. Hollenberg
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van Hartingsveldt, W., Mattern, I.E., van Zeijl, C.M.J. et al. Development of a homologous transformation system for Aspergillus niger based on the pyrG gene. Mol Gen Genet 206, 71–75 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00326538
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00326538