Surface display of pancreatic lipase inhibitor peptides by engineered Saccharomyces boulardii: Potential as an anti-obesity probiotic

The inhibition of lipid absorption in digestive system is an effective strategy in obesity treatment. Pancreatic Lipase inhibitor (PLI) peptides, as novel anti-obesity agents, are currently under focus. In the present study we used a yeast surface display system to express PLI peptides in probiotic yeast Saccharomyces boulardii. Using bioinformatic approaches, two PLIs were chosen and accordingly, two different gene cassettes encoding surface GFP-PLI fusion proteins were successfully expressed in S. boulardii. The results of in vitro PL inhibition assay indicated a significant dose-dependent effect for both recombinant S. boulardii-PLI1 and 2 with IC50 of 106 and 104 cells/ reaction, respectively. The biological activity of these recombinant probiotics was examined in a rat model of obesity. The oral administration of recombinant yeasts (109 yeast cells/rat/day) resulted in significant weight loss and reduced serum lipids in treated animals. Our results indicate the potential application of such engineered strains in treating obesity.