OBJECTIVE: To study the interaction of streptococcal collagen-like protein 1 (Scl1) of M41-type group A streptococcus (GAS) ATCC12373 with low-density lipoprotein (LDL). METHODS: We cloned, expressed and purified the recombinant proteins rScl1 and its V region rScl1-V, designated as C176 and C176V, derived from Scl1. 41 of M41-type GAS. The binding of rScl1 to LDL was detected with affinity chromatography-binding assay, Western blot analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and whole cell binding assays were used to detect the interactions of whole GAS cells with LDL. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that C176 and C176V could specifically bind purified LDL, and M41-type GAS cells expressing native Sell could bind LDL whereas M6-type GAS could not. CONCLUSION: The Sell of M41-type GAS specifically binds LDL.