A plasmid containing the glucoamylase cDNA gene (glu) from Aspergillus awamori, a portion of Saccharomyces cerevisiae ribosomal DNA, S. cerevisiae urd gene deficient in promoter, and bacterial cloning vector pSP72 was constructed for the integration of an A. awamori glu gene into the genome of S. cerevisiae. Several transformants were able to form halos around colonies on the plate containing 2% soluble starch. This indicated the secretion of glucoamylase by the yeasts. Glucoamylase production by transformant G23-8 reached 162 U l(-1). Southern hybridization analysis revealed that the plasmid was integrated into the host chromosome in tandem repeat and dispersion copies. It was estimated that the integrants carried up to 140 glu gene copies per genome. The integrants were mitotically stable for 50 generations without selective pressure. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.