Streptococcus thermophilus, an emerging and promising tool for heterologous expression: Advantages and future trends

International audience[i]Streptococcus thermophilus[/i] is the second most used bacterium in dairy industry. It is daily consumed bymillions of people through the worldwide consumption of yogurts, cheeses and fermented milks.[i]S. thermophilus[/i] presents many features that make it a good candidate for the production of heterologousproteins. First, its ability to be naturally transformable allows obtaining swiftly and easily recombinantstrains using various genetic tools available. Second, its Generally Recognised As Safe status and its abilityto produce beneficial molecules or to liberate bioactive peptides from milk proteins open up the way forthe development of new functional foods to maintain health and well-being of consumers. Finally, itsability to survive the intestinal passage and to be metabolically active in gastrointestinal tract allowsconsidering[i] S. thermophilus[/i] as a potential tool for delivering various biological molecules to thegastrointestinal tract.The aim of this review is therefore to take stock of various genetic tools which can be employed in[i]S. thermophilus[/i] to produce heterologous proteins and to highlight the advantages and future trends ofuse of this bacterium as a heterologous expression host