This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Nakamura, K. Articles by Compans, R. W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Nakamura, K. Articles by Compans, R. W.

Carbohydrate Components of Influenza C Virions

¹ Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama Medical Center, Birmingham, Alabama 35294
² Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie der Technischen, Universität München, Munich, West Germany

ABSTRACT

The carbohydrate components of influenza C virions grown in chicken kidney (CK) cells were analyzed by gel filtration following exhaustive digestion with Pronase. The [³H]glucosamine-labeled glycopeptides were larger and more heterogeneous than those of influenza A/WSN virions; three major size classes (G₁, G₂, and G₃) were resolved. Treatment with Vibrio cholerae neuraminidase caused a decrease in size of G₁ and G₂, along with release of about 16% of the ³H label. The released sugar components were identified as N-acetylneuraminic acid by thin-layer chromatography. Peak G₃ was highly labeled with [³H]mannose, whereas G₁ and G₂ contained lower levels of mannose. The three major viral glycoproteins gp88, gp65, and gp30 were isolated from sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels, and their glycopeptide components were analyzed after Pronase digestion. The three size classes of glycopeptides were obtained from any of the three glycoproteins; however, the relative amounts of the three components varied among the glycoproteins. Host cell-derived components, which appear to be mucopolysaccharides and glycoproteins, were found associated with influenza C virions grown in CK cells. These components contained glycopeptides that were mainly of sizes similar to peak G₂ from influenza C virions. Previous studies have shown that influenza A/WSN virus grown in several cell types contained only two size classes of glycopeptides. Two size classes comparable to peaks G₂ and G₃ from influenza C virions were also observed in influenza A/WSN grown in CK cells. Thus the large G₁ glycopeptides appear to be characteristic of influenza C virions.