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 HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Johansson, B E Articles by Kilbourne, E D Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Johansson, B E Articles by Kilbourne, E D

Dissociation of influenza virus hemagglutinin and neuraminidase eliminates their intravirionic antigenic competition.

Department of Pediatrics, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana 71112.

ABSTRACT

When presented together on the intact influenza virus particle, the external hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) antigens are competitive, with HA dominant over NA in both T- and B-cell priming (B. E. Johansson, T. M. Moran, and E. D. Kilbourne, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 84:6869-6873, 1987). Dissociation and purification of HA and NA from virus and their injection separately or in combination into BALB/c mice eliminates their antigenic competition as measured by antibody response, confirming that it is their structural association that leads to what we have termed intravirionic antigenic competition. We discuss this phenomenon with respect to previously described intermolecular antigenic competition and with regard to its probable mechanism. Our findings are relevant to contemporary interest in viral vaccine vectors and multicomponent vaccines.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Alymova, I. V., Kodihalli, S., Govorkova, E. A., Fanget, B., Gerdil, C., Webster, R. G. (1998). Immunogenicity and Protective Efficacy in Mice of Influenza B Virus Vaccines Grown in Mammalian Cells or Embryonated Chicken Eggs. J. Virol. 72: 4472-4477 [Abstract] [Full Text]