Harford and Peeters described a protocol to cure native plasmid (Curr.
Genet. 11:315, 1987) and I have developed an improved version that does
not require specific host auxotrophic marker (Gene 88:241, 1990). This
method works very to all yeast strains, including industrial yeasts that
do not have any auxotrophic marker. A drug resistant marker in the curing
plasmid also allows to challenge with higher concentrations of drug and
probably helps to speed up the curing.
Wei Xiao
Department of Microbiology
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, SK Canada
