carriersGPIanchored

CarriersGPIanchored, sometimes written as GPI-anchored carriers, refers to proteins or engineered constructs that are tethered to the exterior surface of cells or vesicles via a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor. This anchorage allows the cargo to be presented while remaining membrane-associated, without spanning the plasma membrane.

GPI anchors are glycolipids that attach to a preprotein via a GPI transamidase in the endoplasmic reticulum, replacing a C-terminal signal peptide. The anchor consists of a phosphatidylinositol lipid linked to a glycan core that connects to the protein’s C-terminus. GPI-anchored proteins are sorted to the outer leaflet and can be released by specific phospholipases or remodeling enzymes; their distribution and mobility are influenced by membrane microdomains and lipid composition.

In biotechnology and research, GPI-anchored carriers are used to display peptides, antigens, or functional domains on the cell surface or on synthetic vesicles. This approach can enable stable surface display, oriented presentation of epitopes, and rapid modular switching of cargo. Potential applications include vaccine antigen presentation, cell-based biosensors, and surface-bound enzymatic activity.

Challenges include susceptibility to cleavage by phospholipases, heterogeneity of GPI anchors, variable expression across cell types, and potential immunogenicity of non-native anchors or cargos. Manufacturing and regulatory considerations for clinical use require careful design to ensure consistent display and safety.

The concept highlights how post-translational lipidation can be used to engineer membrane-associated delivery systems, complementing transmembrane or secreted strategies.