Transformation of the White-rot Basidiomycete Coriolus hirsutus Using the Ornithine Carbamoyltransferase Gene

Abstract

  An efficient transformation system for the basidiomycete Coriolus hirsutus was developed. A double-auxotrophic mutant of C. hirsutus, deficient both in ornithine carbamoyltransferase (OCTase) and 3-isopropylmalate dehydrogenase (3-IPM dehydrogenase), was transformed to Arg⁺ with each allelic type of the C. hirsutus genomic OCTase gene (arg1) newly cloned. The transformation frequency of 10³-10⁴ transformants per μg DNA per 10⁶-10⁷ oidial protoplasts was reached. Southern blots showed that the transforming DNA was integrated into chromosomal DNA with multi-copies. The Arg⁺ phenotype of the transformants was stably inherited through mitosis.