A simple and efficient procedure for transformation of Schizosaccharomyces pombe

We describe a simple and efficient procedure for transformation of Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Sz. pombe colonies grown on minimal (SD) plates were directly removed and suspended in a 100 mul reaction mixture containing 70 mul PLATE solution (50% polyethylene glycol-4000, 100 mm lithium acetate, 10 mM Tris-HCl, pH 4.9, and 1 mM EDTA), 10 mul plasmid DNA (1 mug), 10 mul carrier DNA (100 mug) and 10 mul sterile distilled water. After incubation at 30degreesC for 1 h followed by heat shock treatment at 42degreesC for 15 min, the reaction mixture was spread on a selection plate. The transformation efficiency obtained using the procedure was approximately 8000 transformants/mug DNA. The method is simple and time-saving, making it especially useful for a large number of samples and when a high transformation efficiency is not required. Copyright (C) 2004 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.