Agrobacterium problems

[Steve Wylie]

Does anyone else working with Agrobacterium tumefaciens have the 
problems that I do?
 Firstly it is very inconsistant in growth, sometimes 
growing vigorously in liquid medium and at other times growing slowly.
Transforming it with large plasmids with electroporation or triparental 
mating has been impossible with some plasmids but very easy with others 
of comparable size. All conditions and cells identical. 
I use a strain call Agli and have not tried others. I guess I should try 
another strain.
I store a glycerol stock at -80 C and plate onto LB + glucose every 
couple of weeks, working from single colonies taken from that plate.
Any suggestions most welcome. Thanks. 
Steve Wylie
Murdoch University
Western Australia