Link to Pubmed [PMID] – 8936594
Protein Expr. Purif. 1996 Nov;8(3):319-31
Hybrid molecules between MalE, the periplasmic maltose binding protein of Escherichia coli, and CD4, the human T-lymphocyte receptor for the AIDS virus HIV, have been constructed and purified. We show that CD4 can be fused as multiple repeats to both ends of a single MalE molecule. Hybrid proteins are exported into the periplasm of bacteria, bind monoclonal antibodies directed against CD4, bind HIV gp160, and inhibit HIV binding to CD4+ cells. MalE has been used as a scaffold to graft portions of CD4. Deletion analysis allowed to define a minimal structural domain which folds in a way which is compatible with its biological activity. This minimal part was used to design compact hybrid molecules in which CD4 was inserted internally into MalE.