Bacteriophage T4 as a surface display vector.

We describe a method for construction of hymeric bacteriophage T4 particles displaying foreign polypeptides on their surface. The method is based on our finding that minor T4 fibrous protein fibritin encoded by gene wac (whisker's antigen control) could be lengthened at the C terminus without impairing its folding or binding to the phage particle. The lengthened fibritin gene could easily be transferred into the T4 genome by homologous recombination with a plasmid containing the modified gene wac. The modified gene wac is expressed properly during phage reproduction, and the lengthened fibritin is bound to phage particles. As an example of this type of method, we have obtained the hymeric T4 particles carrying a polypeptide of 53 residues, 45 of which are from the pre-S2 region of hepatitis B virus. The T4 display vector extends currently available display systems.