Antigenic determinants of influenza virus hemagglutinin I. Cyanogen bromide peptides derived from A/MEMPHIS/72 hemagglutinin possess antigenic activity

Abstract

Immunoglobulin G prepared from rabbit antisera raised against three strains of influenza virus was adsorbed with suitable recombinant viruses to yield IgG directed only against the polypeptide moiety of the hemagglutinin. Immune complexes formed by incubation of these antibodies with purified hemagglutinin heavy chain, or its derivatives, were detected by affinity chromatography using protein A-Sepharose. It was found that reduction and alkylation (carboxymethylation) of hemagglutinin heavy chain did not affect the antigenicity of the molecule. Peptides derived from the heavy chain by cyanogen bromide cleavage still possessed substantial antigenic activity. Carboxymethylation of these peptid..