Antigenic determinants of influenza virus hemagglutinin XI. Conformational chantes detected by monoclonal antibodies

Abstract

At pH 5 influenza virus hemagglutinin undergoes an irreversible conformational change (J. J. Skehel, P. M. Bayley, E. B. Brown, S. R. Martin, M. D. Waterfield, J. M. White, I. A. Wilson, and D. C. Wiley (1982). Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 79, 968-972) which parallels the appearance of fusion activity of this molecule. This paper describes experiments which explore the conformational change using a panel of monoclonal antibodies which define four of the major antigenic sites of this protein. The results indicate that three of the major antigenic sites of hemagglutinin undergo changes when exposed to acid pH. These changes have little effect on the binding avidity of influenza virus to glycophor..