Soluble human low density lipoprotein minireceptors with less than seven ligand binding repeats (as are present in the native membrane receptor) were expressed in Sf9 insect cells with a hexa-His tag fused to the C terminus. The recombinant truncated proteins were affinity purified from the tissue culture supernatants by Ni-NTA column chromatography. Minireceptors with more than two repeats bound to rabbit beta very low density lipoprotein and could thus be further purified by affinity chromatography. Binding and cell protection assays indicated that two ligand binding repeats are sufficient for attachment of minor group human rhinoviruses to immobilized receptors, whereas at least three ligand binding repeats are required to protect HeLa cells against viral infection.