Increased transformation levels in intact cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae aculeacin A-resistant mutants.

Several Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants resistant to the cell wall synthesis inhibitor aculeacin A exhibit higher transformation levels than the parental strain. Mutant acr2 has been studied in more detail. It is transformed up to ten-fold more efficiently than the wild-type strain with episomal, centromeric and integrative plasmids, and dimethyl sulfoxide has an additive effect improving transformation efficiency. Transformation with linear DNA molecules is not as much affected in acr2 cells. The observed effects may be caused by the altered plasma membrane composition of the mutants.