Understanding bacteriocin heterologous expression: A review

Area of Science:

• Microbiology and Biotechnology
• Antimicrobial Peptide Research

Background:

• Bacteriocins are ribosomally synthesized antimicrobial peptides crucial for microbial self-defense.
• They serve as bio-preservatives and alternatives to antibiotics, minimizing resistance development.
• Few reports address bacteriocin resistance, yet overexpression factors remain underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review intrinsic and extrinsic factors influencing bacteriocin overexpression.
• To analyze the advantages, disadvantages, and challenges of bacteriocin overexpression in E. coli.
• To recommend effective strategies and suitable expression systems for bacteriocin overexpression.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on bacteriocin heterologous expression.
• Analysis of genetic elements and expression systems involved in bacteriocin production.
• Evaluation of E. coli as a conventional expression system for bacteriocins.

Main Results:

• Bacteriocin overexpression is influenced by coordinated genetic elements and post-translational modification systems.
• E. coli offers a conventional and widely used system for heterologous bacteriocin expression.
• Numerous expression systems exist, including those from E. coli, Lactococcus, and yeast species.

Conclusions:

• Understanding intrinsic and extrinsic factors is key to optimizing bacteriocin overexpression.
• E. coli presents a viable platform, but other systems like Lactococcus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Pichia pastoris also offer potential.
• Effective strategies are needed to enhance bacteriocin production for bio-preservation and therapeutic applications.