Liu X, Lagenaur LA, Simpson DA, Essenmacher, KP, Frazier-Parker, CL, Liu, Y, Tsai, D, Rao, SS, Hamer, DH, Parks, TP, Lee, PP, Xu, Q. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2006 Oct;50(10):3250-9.
Synopsis: Cyanovirin-N (CV-N) is a small protein that was originally identified at the National Cancer Institute as having potent anti-viral activity against HIV-1 and other viruses. We engineered Lactobacillus jensenii to secrete a modified form of CV-N (mCV-N) and showed that the protein produced by Lactobacillus was active against HIV-1. We also tested the recombinant strain in a mouse vaginal model and saw evidence that the bacteria could express the mCV-N protein in situ.