Agrobacterium tumefaciens- Mediated Transformation of Pucciniomycotina Red Yeasts

Abstract

Red yeasts belong to the subphylum Pucciniomycotina, one of the three major lineages in the Basidiomycete fungi. These yeasts, commonly found as saprophytes in the environment, have unique features that make them important for academia, industry, agriculture, and occasionally human health. To understand the genetic basis behind biological processes of interest, the availability of molecular tools for gene mutation plays a crucial role. Here we outline how to perform recently developed protocols of Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation to Pucciniomycotina red yeasts. This method can be applied to generate libraries of T-DNA insertional mutants that can be screened for phenotypes of interest, or for targeted gene replacement.