Intergeneric protoplast fusion in lactic acid bacteria

Abstract

A method to obtain gene transfer in lactic acid bacteria is described. When Streptococcus lactis SH4174 and Lactobacillus reuteri DSM20016 protoplasts undergo fusion by exposure to polyethylene glycol, plasmid pAMβ1 and trehalose‐fermenting ability are transferred into L. reuteri.

Liposome-enhanced transformation of streptococcus lactis and plasmid transfer by intergeneric protoplast fusion of streptococcus lactis and bacillus subtilis

“…The results of the fusion experiments also show that pGKV21 was efficiently transferred from S. lactis MG1363 to B. subtilis 168 and B. subtilis 1012 via protoplast fusion. Recently it was established that plasmids can also be transferred from the phylogenetically unrelated S. lactis to Lactobacillus reuteri by means of protoplast fusion [28]. Provided the plasmid is capable of replication in the two fusion partners, it would seem, therefore, that intergeneric plasmid transfer by means of protoplast fusion between gram-positives may be generally applicable.…”

Genetics and Biotechnology of Lactic Acid Bacteria

“…Cocconcelli et al (1986) have described intergeneric protoplast fusion between L. lactis and Lactobacillus reuteri in which transfer of pAM~ 1 occurred at a frequency of approximately 10-5 , while recombinants of the Lactobacillus strain capable of fermenting trehalose were recovered at a frequency of 8.3 X 10-5 . Cocconcelli et al (1986) have described intergeneric protoplast fusion between L. lactis and Lactobacillus reuteri in which transfer of pAM~ 1 occurred at a frequency of approximately 10-5 , while recombinants of the Lactobacillus strain capable of fermenting trehalose were recovered at a frequency of 8.3 X 10-5 .…”

“…Intrageneric and intergeneric fusion of lactobacilli containing plasmids with selectable antibiotic resistance markers (Cocconcelli et al, 1986;Iwata et al, 1986) has been reported. Transfer of a chromosomal marker, trehalose fermentation, has been observed to occur during fusion of Lactococcus lac tis and Lactobacillus reuteri (Cocconcelli et al, 1986). …”

Effect of Bacillus subtilis BsuM restriction-modification on plasmid transfer by polyethylene glycol-induced protoplast fusion

“…Polyethylene glycol (PEG)‐induced cell fusion is one of the means to transfer DNA between bacterial cells, and numerous instances have been reported for intraspecific, interspecific, and intergeneric protoplast fusion (Akamatsu & Sekiguchi, ; Chen et al ., , ; Cocconcelli et al ., ; Baigorí et al ., ; van der Lelie et al ., ; van der Vossen et al ., ; Gokhale & Deobagkar, ). The genetic materials used in these studies include either plasmids or chromosomal DNA.…”