A CONVENIENT AND REPRODUCIBLE METHOD TO GENETICALLY TRANSFORM BACTERIA OF THE GENUS BIFIDOBACTERIUM

A protocol was developed for the introduction of foreign plasmid DNA i nto various Bifidobacterium strains. The method, which is applicable t o all Bifidobacterium species tested so far, is based on electroporati on of bacteria made competent by preincubation in electroporation buff er for several hours at 4 degrees C. Transformation of Bifidobacterium could be achieved with a plasmid vector originating from Bifidobacter ium and with plasmid vectors from Corynebacterium, but not with vector s carrying replicons from Lactococcus or Lactobacillus.