Electroporation of Helicobacter pylori

The genus Helicobacter currently comprises over 15 different species with members described as microaerophilic gram-negative spiral rods with a G + C content of 35–38%. The most medically important Helicobacter is Helicobacter pylori , a human pathogen that has been causally linked to the development of gastritis, gastric ulcers, and gastric cancer (1 ,2 ). The need to fulfill, at the molecular level, Koch’s Postulates for any microbial pathogen investigated demands that the organism be applicable to all the molecular genetic techniques available. Ultimately one must be able to prepare DNA from the organism, clone and manipulate the DNA in the laboratory, and most importantly, insert DNA into the isolate. Only in this manner can isogenic mutants be created, allowing for the proper comparison of wild-type and mutant in an appropriate model to determine potential virulence factors.