Efficient insertional mutagenesis system for the dimorphic pathogenic fungus Sporothrix schenckii using Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Abstract Sporothrix schenckii is a dimorphic pathogenic fungus that causes human and animal sporotrichosis globally. Here we developed and optimized an Agrobacterium tumefaciens- mediated transformation (ATMT) system of S. schenckii for insertional mutagenesis. The transformation efficiency reached more than 600 transformants per 10 6 conidia. Using this protocol enabled us to obtain a large number of T-DNA insertional mutants within a short experimental period. Several mutants with altered phenotypes were obtained during the transformation experiments. The mutants displayed mitotic stability. Transferred DNA (T-DNA) flanking sequences were cloned by thermal asymmetric interlaced PCR (TAIL-PCR). Our results demonstrated that the ATMT system can be an effective tool for insertional mutagenesis in S. schenckii . This is the first report of a suitable mutagenesis system which may provide valuable mutants and information for both forward and reverse genetics research in the future for this medically important fungus.