AGROBACTERIUM TUMEFACIENS-MEDIATED TRANSFORMATION OF TRICHODERMA HARZIANUM

The development of a transformation system is a significant technical hurdle in the study of many filamentous fungi. Agrobacterium tumefaciens has been shown to transform yeasts, fungi and even human cells. By using this transformation system, filamentous fungus Trichoderma harzianum was successfully transformed with an efficiency of 60-110 transformants per 107 spores. PCR and Southern analysis showed that the T-DNA was integrated into the genome. The transformants contained a single copy that was stable through mitotic cell division. The tranformation system mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens may prove to be a powerful tool for filamentous fungi transformation and also for functional genomic study due to its high transformation frequency, simplicity of T-DNA integration, and genetic stability of transformants. These findings should facilitate future study of T. harzianum and stimulate wider use of this valuable transformation method in fungal research