The contribution of Pir protein family to yeast cell surface display

Proteins with internal repeats (Pir) in the Baker’s yeast are located on the cell wall and include four highly homologous members. Recently, Pir proteins have become increasingly used as anchor proteins in yeast cell surface display systems. These display systems are classified into three types: N-terminal fusion, C-terminal fusion, and inserted fusion. In addition to the GPI (glycosylphosphatidyl inositol) and the FL/FS anchor proteins, these three Pir-based systems significantly increase the choices for target proteins to be displayed. Furthermore, Pir proteins can also be used as a fusion partner for target proteins to be effectively secreted into culture medium. Here, we summarize the development and application of Pir proteins as anchor proteins.