Direct transfer of whole genomes from bacteria to yeast.

Transfer of genomes into yeast facilitates genome engineering for genetically intractable organisms, but this process has been hampered by the need for cumbersome isolation of intact genomes before transfer. Here we demonstrate direct cell-to-cell transfer of bacterial genomes as large as 1.8 megabases (Mb) into yeast under conditions that promote cell fusion. Moreover, we discovered that removal of restriction endonucleases from donor bacteria resulted in the enhancement of genome transfer.