Efficient and simple generation of multiple unmarked gene deletions in Mycobacterium smegmatis

Research on mycobacterial genetics relies heavily on techniques for directed gene mutation, but genetic studies are often hampered by the difficulty of generating gene deletions in mycobacteria. We developed an efficient and improved deletion system, described here in detail, which can be used to construct multiple unmarked recombinants in mycobacteria. We tested this system by using it to sequentially delete four pairs of toxin-antitoxin genes in Mycobacterium smegmatis.