Selection of an effective red-pigment producing Monascus pilosus by efficient transformation with aurintricarboxylic acid

The filamentous fungus Monascus pilosus was genetically transformed with a reporter plasmid, pMS-1.5hp, by aurintricarboxylic acid (ATA) treatment to obtain an efficient red-pigment producing mutant. The transformation efficiency of Monascus pilosus was higher with the ATA-treatment than with either a non-restriction-enzyme-mediated integration (REMI) or a REMI method. This valid and convenient random mutagenesis method shows that ATA can be applied in fungi for efficient genetic transformation.