A Modular T7 RNAP Expression Architecture for Orthogonal Multigene Expression in Yeast

Abstract

Orthogonal gene expression systems based on bacteriophage-derived T7 RNA polymerase (T7 RNAP) offer a promising strategy for decoupling engineered transcription from host regulatory networks. Although recent advances have enabled productive T7 RNAP-mediated expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, strategies for independently controlling multiple genes within a shared T7 transcriptional framework remain limited. Here, we developed a modular pYTK-compatible T7 RNAP expression architecture that separates overall transcriptional capacity from gene-specific control of protein output. We established interchangeable T7 promoter, terminator, polyadenylation signal, and 5 untranslated region (UTR) parts for combinatorial assembly. Analysis of expression cassette dosage showed that transcript abundance and expression output scale with cassette copy number, with high-copy constructs producing transcript levels comparable to those driven by the GAL1 promoter. To enable gene-specific tuning, we constructed a library of fourteen 18 nt UTR elements that generated a [~]38-fold range of protein output from a common T7 promoter. Application of this library to a three-gene {beta}-carotene biosynthesis pathway enabled [~]20-fold variation in product titer through UTR assignment alone, without altering promoter identity or gene copy number. Together, these results establish a modular T7 RNAP expression framework in which cassette dosage defines overall transcriptional capacity while interchangeable UTR elements enable gene-specific tuning of expression output, providing a practical strategy for multigene expression control in yeast.