Fungal extrachromosomal DNA and its maintenance and expression in E. coli K-12

A phytopathogenic fungus, Fusarium oxysporum, has been found to contain a plasmid-like DNA molecule which can be introduced by transformation into E. coli K-12 strains, where it can be maintained as a bacteria plasmid. An E. coli K-12 strain bearing this fungal DNA is able to express a polysaccharide hydrolizing activity which is known to be involved in the fungal pathogenic processes. © 1978 Elsevier/North-Holland Biomedical Press.