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Cell surface display is a popular approach for the construction of whole-cell biocatalysts, live vaccines, and screening of combinatorial libraries. To develop a novel surface display system for the popular scaffold protein 10th human fibronectin type III domain ( 10 Fn3) in Escherichia coli cells, we have used an α-helical linker and a C-terminal translocator domain from previously characterized autotransporter from Psychrobacter cryohalolentis K5 T . The level of 10 Fn3 passenger exposure at the cell surface provided by the hybrid autotransporter Fn877 and its C-terminal variants was low. To improve it, the fusion proteins containing 10 Fn3 and the native autotransporter passenger Est877 or the cold-active esterase EstPc in different orientations were constructed and expressed as passenger domains. Using the whole-cell ELISA and activity assays, we have demonstrated that N-terminal position of EstPc in the passenger significantly improves the efficiency of the surface display of 10 Fn3 in E. coli cells.

We have cloned the gene coding for AT877-a new predicted member of the autotransporter protein family with an esterase passenger domain from permafrost bacterium Psychrobacter cryohalolentis K5(T). Expression of AT877 gene in Escherichia coli resulted in accumulation of the recombinant autotransporter in the outer membrane fraction and at the surface of the induced cells. AT877 displayed maximum hydrolytic activity toward medium-chain p-nitrophenyl esters (C8-C10) at 50 °C and was resistant to the presence of several metal ions, organic solvents and detergents. Previously, we have described a cold-active esterase EstPc from the same bacterium which possesses high activity at low temperatures and relatively high thermal stability. To construct a cell surface display system for EstPc, the hybrid autotransporter gene coding for EstPc with the α-helical linker and the translocator domain from AT877 was constructed and expressed in E. coli. According to the results of the cell fractionation studies and esterase activity measurements, the EstPc passenger was successfully displayed at the surface of the induced cells. It demonstrated a temperature optimum at 15-25 °C and a substrate preference toward p-nitrophenyl butyrate (C4). Obtained results provide a new example of the biotechnologically relevant enzyme from the permafrost microbial community with potential applications for the conversion of short- and medium-chain ester substrates and a basis for the construction of a new cell surface display platform.