Back to top of page. The chromosome inevitably breaks up into smaller fragments. It is a random process in that any portion of the genome may be transformed. Click for transformation diagram. If genes lie close together on the chromosome, they may be carried on the same fragment when it breaks up.
Double transformations are useful when studying linkage between genes.
Back to top of page. This technique succeeds with species that aren't naturally competent e.g. E. coli. 5Kv cm -1 voltage is passed through which causes the pores in the cell membrane to transiently open and DNA can then be taken up. Both linear and plasmid DNA can be transformed into bacterial cells. One way to get round this degradation is to make the cell deficient in degrading enzymes.