AbstractThe unconventional yeast Yarrowia lipolytica is extensively applied in bioproduction fields owing to its excellent metabolite and protein production ability. Nonetheless, utilization of this promising host is still restricted by limited availability of precise and effective gene integration tools. In this study, a novel and efficient genetic tool was developed for targeted, repeated, and markerless gene integration based on Cre/lox sitespecific recombination system. The developed tool required only a single selection marker and could completely excise all of the unnecessary sequences. A total of three plasmids were created and seven rounds of marker-free gene integration were examined in Y. lipolytica. All the integration efficiencies remained above 90%, and analysis of protein production and growth characteristics of the engineered strains confirmed that genome modification via the novel genetic tool was feasible. Further work also confirmed the genetic tool was effective for integration of other genes, loci, and strains. Thus, this study significantly promotes the application of Cre/lox system and presents a powerful tool for genome engineering in Y. lipolytica.
Nontransgenic Marker-Free Gene Disruption by an Episomal CRISPR System in the Oleaginous Microalga, Nannochloropsis oceanica CCMP1779
