IMPROVED CONDITIONS FOR PROTOPLAST FORMATION AND TRANSFORMATION OF PLEUROTUS-OSTREATUS

Conditions suitable for the production and regeneration of Pleurotus ostreatus protoplasts from dikaryotic mycelia were examined. Three commercially available muralytic enzymes, including Sigma lysing enzyme, Novozym 234 and Novozym 234 LP, were used for production of protoplasts. Over 2 x 10(7) protoplasts per gram fresh weight mycelia were obtained within 1.5 h by using each of these three enzymes. The colony regeneration rate was up to 12-13% on potato-dextrose-agar medium containing 0.8 m mannitol. Genetic transformation was based on positive selection for resistance to hygromycin B (HmB) using the plasmid vector pAN7-1 and accomplished by either electroporation or a polyethylene glycol (PEG)-divalent cation method. P. ostreatus strains used in this study have innate sensitivity to HmB at a critical inhibitory concentration of between 40-50 mug/ml. Selection for HmB resistance of this fungus, indicative of transformation, resulted in 3-48 HmB-resistant colonies per microgram of pAN7-1 per 10(7) viable protoplasts. No significant differences were apparent when either transformation protocol or either P. ostreatus strain was used. The best electrical condition found for the electrotransformation of P. ostreatus is at a field strength of 2.6-2.8 kV/cm with a capacitance of 25muF and a parallel resistance of 800 ohms, corresponding to a time constant range of 10-14 ms.