[1] A cyanobacterial protein called cyanovirin-N (CV-N) has strong anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) neutralizing properties.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) in the United States of America carried out the initial isolation and characterization of this protein in 1999.
Its ability to bind to the HIV-encapsulating glycoprotein gp120 has been demonstrated in several studies, which has led to the development of CV-N-based therapies and preventatives.
The total fold depends on a number of interactions between the two repetitions, therefore, they do not actually belong in separate domains.
[6] CV-N has a complex fold of a tandem repeat duplication of two homologous motifs, comprising three-stranded beta-sheet and beta-hairpins.