ANTIGENIC DETERMINANTS OF INFLUENZA-VIRUS HEMAGGLUTININ .4. IMMUNOGENICITY OF FRAGMENTS ISOLATED FROM THE HEMAGGLUTININ OF A-MEMPHIS-72

Abstract

Polypeptide fragments obtained by cyanogen bromide (CNBr) cleavage of the hemagglutinin (HA) of the A/Memphis/102/72 (H3N2) strain of influenza virus were inoculated into rabbits, and the resulting antisera were examined for the presence of antibodies capable of reacting with intact virus, detergent-solubilized hemagglutinin, hemagglutinin heavy chain (HA 1), or CNBr fragments derived from HA. We have shown that it is possible to raise antibodies to individual fragments including those representing regions of the hemagglutinin molecule that are not normally antigenic within the intact virion. The antibodies are specific for the fragment to which they were raised. In those cases where the imm..