Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated genetic transformation of the phytopathogenic ascomycete Calonectria morganii

Conidia of the phytopathogenic fungus Calonectria morganii were transformed to hygromycin B resistance using the hph gene of Escherichia coli as the s elective trait, governed by a heterologous fungal promoter and the Aspergil lus nidulans trpC terminator. Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transforma tion yielded stable hygromycin B-resistant clones (average number 10(6) per 10(7) conidia). Putative transformants appeared to be mitotically and meio tically stable. The presence of the hph gene was checked by PCR. In four ra ndomly chosen transformants, single-copy integrations of the marker gene at different chromosomal sites were proven by Southern analysis.