Methods of expressing proteins with disulfide bridges

This invention relates to methods of expressing eukaryotic proteins in prokaryotic hosts, particularly eukaryotic proteins that require formation of disulfide bridges for biological activity. Various approaches are used including fusion to thioredoxin, cytoplasmic expression of disulfide isomerases, deficiencies in thioredoxin and/or glutathione reductases, deficiencies in proteases, and the like. The method is applicable to express monomeric and dimeric forms of the eukaryotic protein with biological activity such as monomeric and dimeric forms of a disintegrin or a disintegrin domain. Included are the vectors, host cells expressing the proteins, the expressed proteins and methods of using the proteins.