Expression, characterisation and antigenicity of a truncated Hendra virus attachment protein expressed in the protozoan host Leishmania tarentolae

•We describe the expression and purification of a truncated viral glycoprotein in a novel protein expression system (Leishmania tarentolae).•The soluble Hendra virus G protein was purified via Strep-tag affinity chromatography with a yield of approximately 0.5mg/L cell culture.•The recombinant protein was shown to bind to the viral entry receptor ephrin-B2 in several assays.•A polyclonal antisera produced in rabbits reacted with Hendra virus G protein in immunofluorescence analysis and were cross-reactive against Nipah virus G protein.•Preincubation of Nipah virus prevented cell infection, demonstrating the neutralising activity of these sera.