mazF as a counter-selectable marker for unmarked genetic modification of Pichia pastoris

In this study, we demonstrate a novel method for unmarked genetic modification of the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris, in which the Escherichia coli toxin gene mazF was used as a counter-selectable marker. mazF was placed under the tightly controlled AOX1 promoter, and the induced expression of MazF in P. pastoris halted cell growth. A modular plasmid was constructed in which mazF and a Zeocin resistance gene acted as counter-selectable and active-selectable markers, respectively, and the MazF-ZeoR cassette was flanked by two direct repeats for marker recycling. Linearized delivery vectors constructed from the modular plasmid were integrated into the P. pastoris genome via homologous recombination, introducing genetic modifications. Upon counter-selection with methanol medium, which induces the AOX1 promoter, the markers were recycled efficiently via homologous recombination between the direct repeats. We used this method successfully to knock-out the ARG1 and MET2 genes, knock-in a green fluorescent protein expression cassette, and perform site-directed mutagenesis on the ARG1 gene, all without introducing unwanted selection markers. The novel method allows repeated use of the selectable marker gene for multiple modifications and will be a useful tool for P. pastoris studies.