Financial support: Thai Research Fund, Graduate School of Kasetsart University.

Keywords: biolistic, cosmid, hygromycin, Monascus purpureus, transformation.

Present address: #Mission College, Muak Lek Campus, 195 Moo 3, Tambon Muak Lek, Muak Lek District, Saraburi Province 18180, Thailand. Tel: 66 36 344777, Fax: 66 36 341629.

Albino strain KB20M1 of Monascus purpureus was genetically transformed to hygromycin B resistance with cosmid pMOcosX, using biolistic bombardment. Conidia and mycelial fragments were used as the recipient material and rupture disk strengths of 6.2 and 9.3 MPa each yielded a transformed isolate from five bombardments. Southern analysis suggested a single copy of the cosmid had integrated into each of the transformants. Both of the independent transformants formed cleistothecia but ascospore formation was greatly reduced or absent, suggesting the integration and expression of the genes carried on pMOcosX interfered with fertilization and/or ascospore formation in this homothallic fungus.