An efficient and stable method for the transformation of heterogeneous genes into Cephalosporium acremonium mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens

A transformation system mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens is routinely used for the genetic engineering of plants. Here, we report an efficient and stable method for transformation of heterogeneous genes into an industrial Cephalosporium acremonium by using a similar transformation system established in plants. Both the phleomycin-resistant gene and vgb gene were used as screening markers to confirm the success of transformation by either Southern hybridization or PCR amplification. It was found that acetosyringone (AS) was necessary only for protoplast transformation and the heterogeneous genes transferred were integrated into the genome of C. acremonium. The transformation efficiency obtained with this system was much higher than the conventional techniques used for transfonnation of C. acremonium.