How to increase electroporation efficiency? Please help (long!) - (Mar/14/2005 )
Hi all,
I need some suggestions desperately on improving the electroporation efficiency of P. aeruginosa.
I have posted previously on problems with transposon mutagensis using the Epicentre Kan-2 kit. I think the problem I am having is a low efficiency of electroporation.
I only get 2 or 3 mutants, but these are confirmed to contain the kanamycin cassette by my PCR detection method.
I have tried lots of avenues...
Basically my method is:
Inoculate 90ml LB with a 10ml overnight culture.
Incubate for ~5 hours.
Wash cells three times in ice-cold hi pure water and resuspend in 1ml of 10% glycerol/ hi pure. This is using a bench-top centrifuge that isn't refrigerated - would this prevent efficient electroporation later on?
I always have a control electrocuvette (bugs only) to make sure the cuvette doesn't arc (ie cells are washed properly). I get around 10 to the 10 bugs to electroporate.
I have a brand-new kit therefore the transposon shouldn't be the problem.
I am confident that my kanamycin plates are working (500ug/ml).
Electroporation conditions are: Add 1ul transposon to 40ul cells. Electroporate at 25ìF, 200Ù and 250kV/cm for approx 5 s (using 0.2cm cuvettes, new each time).
The kits are expensive and I am already onto my second one (and now into the 2nd yr of my PhD!!!).
If anyone has any suggestions I would love to hear them!!
Also can anyone suggest an "electroporation control" I can try to test whether preparing my cells using my method makes them competent?
Thanks again.
Boo
Did you call Epicentre's tech support?
I need some suggestions desperately on improving the electroporation efficiency of P. aeruginosa.
I have posted previously on problems with transposon mutagensis using the Epicentre Kan-2 kit. I think the problem I am having is a low efficiency of electroporation.
I only get 2 or 3 mutants, but these are confirmed to contain the kanamycin cassette by my PCR detection method.
I have tried lots of avenues...
Basically my method is:
Inoculate 90ml LB with a 10ml overnight culture.
Incubate for ~5 hours.
Wash cells three times in ice-cold hi pure water and resuspend in 1ml of 10% glycerol/ hi pure. This is using a bench-top centrifuge that isn't refrigerated - would this prevent efficient electroporation later on?
I always have a control electrocuvette (bugs only) to make sure the cuvette doesn't arc (ie cells are washed properly). I get around 10 to the 10 bugs to electroporate.
I have a brand-new kit therefore the transposon shouldn't be the problem.
I am confident that my kanamycin plates are working (500ug/ml).
Electroporation conditions are: Add 1ul transposon to 40ul cells. Electroporate at 25ìF, 200Ù and 250kV/cm for approx 5 s (using 0.2cm cuvettes, new each time).
The kits are expensive and I am already onto my second one (and now into the 2nd yr of my PhD!!!).
If anyone has any suggestions I would love to hear them!!
Also can anyone suggest an "electroporation control" I can try to test whether preparing my cells using my method makes them competent?
Thanks again.
Boo
I need some suggestions desperately on improving the electroporation efficiency of P. aeruginosa.
I have posted previously on problems with transposon mutagensis using the Epicentre Kan-2 kit. I think the problem I am having is a low efficiency of electroporation.
I only get 2 or 3 mutants, but these are confirmed to contain the kanamycin cassette by my PCR detection method.
I have tried lots of avenues...
Basically my method is:
Inoculate 90ml LB with a 10ml overnight culture.
Incubate for ~5 hours.
Wash cells three times in ice-cold hi pure water and resuspend in 1ml of 10% glycerol/ hi pure. This is using a bench-top centrifuge that isn't refrigerated - would this prevent efficient electroporation later on?
I always have a control electrocuvette (bugs only) to make sure the cuvette doesn't arc (ie cells are washed properly). I get around 10 to the 10 bugs to electroporate.
I have a brand-new kit therefore the transposon shouldn't be the problem.
I am confident that my kanamycin plates are working (500ug/ml).
Electroporation conditions are: Add 1ul transposon to 40ul cells. Electroporate at 25ìF, 200Ù and 250kV/cm for approx 5 s (using 0.2cm cuvettes, new each time).
The kits are expensive and I am already onto my second one (and now into the 2nd yr of my PhD!!!).
If anyone has any suggestions I would love to hear them!!
Also can anyone suggest an "electroporation control" I can try to test whether preparing my cells using my method makes them competent?
Thanks again.
Boo
I think instead of using the transposon kit, first you try with a plasmid with some antibiotic resistance gene and see whether your transformation works.
I am also planning to use this kit for Pseudomonas. However my isolate is already resistant to kanamycin upto 75 microgram/ml. Do you think I can use higher concentration to screen my mutants. The protocol from the supplier says to use 25-50 microgram/ml which is doesnot work for my isolate.
Please suggest.
Rajitha