Method for transformation of animal cells

A method for introducing nucleic acids into cells, comprising:

• (a) preparing a chimeric recombinant nucleic acid construct that comprises in operable linkage to an expressible DNA or to an oligonucleotide at least one T-DNA border sequence or functional part thereof, which serves as a substrate in the VirD2 cleavage reaction, as defined hereinbefore;
• (b) cleaving of the nucleic acid substrate prepared according to step (a) by means of VirD2 protein, which may be accompanied by further Vir proteins such as, for example VirD1 and/or VirE2 and/or any other nucleic acid binding protein, which is able to protect said nucleic acid from nuclease attack;
• (c) introducing the thus cleaved nucleic acid comprising at least the VirD2 protein covalently bound to the 5′ end of the cleavage site into the cells to be transformed by methods known in the art.