Methods for Electroporation and Transformation Confirmation in Limosilactobacillus reuteri DSM20016

Summary

Here, we present protocols for working with Limosilactobacillus reuteri DSM20016, detailing growth, plasmid transformation, colony PCR, fluorescent reporter protein measurement, and limited plasmid mini-prep, as well as common issues and troubleshooting. These protocols allow the measurement of reporter proteins in DSM20016, or confirmation via colony PCR if no reporter is involved.

Abstract

Lactobacillus were an incredibly large, diverse genus of bacteria comprising 261 species, several of which were commensal strains with the potential for use as a chassis for synthetic biological endeavors within the gastrointestinal tract. The wide phenotypic and genotypic variation observed within the genus led to a recent reclassification and the introduction of 23 novel genera.

Due to the breadth of variations within the old genera, protocols demonstrated in one member may not work as advertised with other members. A lack of centralized information on how exactly to manipulate specific strains has led to a range of ad hoc approaches, often adapted from other bacterial families. This can complicate matters for researchers starting in the field, who may not know which information does or does not apply to their chosen strain.

In this paper, we aim to centralize a set of protocols with demonstrated success, specifically in the Limosilactobacillus reuteri strain designation F275 (other collection numbers: DSM20016, ATCC23272, CIP109823), along with troubleshooting advice and common issues one may encounter. These protocols should enable a researcher with little to no experience working with L. reuteri DSM20016 to transform a plasmid, confirm transformation, and measure system feedback in a plate reader via a reporter protein.

Introduction

The genus Lactobacillus were historically classified as gram-positive, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming, either facultative anaerobes or microaerophiles that break sugars down to primarily produce lactic acid¹. These loose criteria led to Lactobacillus being, phenotypically and genotypically, an extremely diverse genus. This broad categorization resulted in the genus being reclassified, introducing 23 novel genera in 2020².

The old, broader genus included major commensal and probiotic species generally regarded as safe (GRAS) for consumption³. The Lac....

Protocol

1. Preparing L. reuteri DSM20016 electrocompetent cells

NOTE: This is based on a protocol by Berthier et al.¹⁷, with centrifugation speeds informed by Rattanachaikunsopon et al.¹⁸.

1. In a 50 mL centrifuge tube, inoculate L. reuteri from glycerol stock into 6 mL of deMan Rogosa Sharpe (MRS) broth. Incubate aerobically overnight at 37 °C in a static incubator.
2. The next morning, in.......

Discussion

The most critical step for the transformation of L. reuteri DSM20016 is the generation of anaerobic growth conditions after transformations are plated; colonies gained in aerobic conditions are only very occasional and generally fail to grow when inoculated in MRS broth. Plating the entire recovery volume should also be practiced to maximize the probability of colony growth. Even with these two critical steps, transformation efficiency is still a limitation on experimentation, as expected colonies can number as .......

Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
1 kb Plus DNA Ladder	NEB	N3200L
1mL Spectrophotometer cuvettes	Thomas Scientific	1145J12
Agarose	BioShop	AGR001
Allegra X-15R (refrigerated centrifuge)	Beckman Allegra	N/A	No longer in production
AnaeroGen 2.5 L Sachet	Thermo Scientific	OXAN0025A
BTX, ECM 399 electroporation system	VWR	58017-984
Centrifuge tubes (50 mL)	FroggaBio	TB50-500
DNA gel x6 loading dye	NEB	B7024S
Electroporation cuvette	Fisherbrand	FB101
Erythromycin	Millipore Sigma	E5389-5G
Gel electroporation bath/dock	VWR	76314-748
Glycerol	BioShop	GLY001
Limosilactobacillus reuteri	Leibniz Institute DSMZ	DSM20016	Strain designation F275
Lysozyme	BioShop	LYS702.5
Microcentrifuge tubes (1.7 mL)	FroggaBio	LMCT1.7B
Miniprep kit (Qiagen)	Qiagen	27106	slpGFP replaced with constitutive, codon optimised, mCherry2 reporter protein
MRS Broth (Dehydrated)	Thermo Scientific	CM0359B
Mutanolysin	Millipore Sigma	M9901-5KU
NaOH	Millipore Sigma	1064691000
P100 Pipette	Eppendorf	3123000047
P1000 Pipette	Eppendorf	3123000063
P2.5 Pipette	Eppendorf	3123000012
P20 Pipette	Eppendorf	3123000039
P200 Pipette	Eppendorf	3123000055
PCR tubes	FroggaBio	STF-A120S
Personal benchtop microcentrifuge	Genlantis	E200100
Petri dishes	VWR	25384-088
PTC-150 Thermal Cycler	MJ Research	N/A	No longer in production
pTRKH3_slpGFP (modified)	Addgene	27168
SPECTRONIC 200 Spectrophotometer	Thermo Scientific	840-281700
Storage microplate	Fisher Scientific	14-222-225
Sucrose	BioShop	SUC507
TAE Buffer 50x	Thermo Scientific	B49
Vortex	VWR	58816-121	No longer in production
VWR 1500E incubator	VWR	N/A	No longer in production