Bacterial Surface Display using Outer Membrane Proteins as Anchoring Sites

Surface display of heterologous proteins or polypeptides on the surface of bacteria has gained momentum in recent years. Until recently, arrays of anchors or carriers have been identified for displaying diverse passenger proteins on the surface of Escherichia coli, majority of these involving the outer membrane proteins (OMPs). The reason for opting outer membrane proteins lies mainly i n its ability to withstand the incorporation of large libraries of novel polypeptides, without a significant loss in steadiness. In this context, a thorough understanding of the underlying genetic mechanism of the OMP-mediated surface display is necessary. In this mini-review, we attempt to do the same and also compare the OMPs from two commonly used and available bacteria. The far reaching consequence of this lies in efficient surface display of imaginative and innovative polypeptides with applications ranging from bioremediation, immunology to vaccine development.