RÉSUMÉ
Aims: In this study, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from 42 healthy infants and determined for probiotic properties. Twelve LAB isolates with potential probiotic properties were selected and screened for their feasibility of heterologous protein expression by selection of erythromycin sensitive isolates. Methodology and results: One of eleven erythromycin-sensitive LAB isolates identified and designated as Lactobacillus fermentum 47-7 was able to acquire and stable maintain the Escherichia coli-Lactobacillus shuttle vector, pRCEID-LC13.9. Further electrotransformation of L. fermentum 47-7 with the recombinant pLC13.9:LDH-PRO1:GFPuv containing green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene found that recombinant L. fermentum can express GFP. Conclusion, significance and impact of study: The probiotic L. fermentum isolate can be used as host for expression of heterologous proteins and could possibly be further developed as the alternate oral delivery system for various biomolecules for biotechnological application.