Influenza A virus transfectants with chimeric hemagglutinins containing epitopes from different subtypes.
Influenza virus transfectants with chimeric hemagglutinins were constructed by using a ribonucleoprotein transfection method. Transfectants W(H1)-H2 and W(H1)-H3 contained A/WSN/33(H1N1) (WSN) hemagglutinins in which the six-amino-acid loop (contained in antigenic site B) was replaced by the corresponding structures of influenza viruses A/Japan/57(H2N2) and A/Hong Kong/8/68(H3N2) (HK), respectively. Serological analysis indicated that the W(H1)-H3 transfectant virus reacted with antibodies against both the WSN and HK viruses in hemagglutination inhibition and plaque neutralization assays. Furthermore, mice immunized with W(H1)-H3 transfectant virus produced antibodies to the WSN and HK viruses. The results demonstrate that influenza virus transfectants can be engineered to express epitopes of different subtypes on their hemagglutinins.
Li
S Q
SQ
Department of Microbiology, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10029.
Schulman
J L
JL
Moran
T
T
Bona
C
C
Palese
P
P
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D002678:Chimera; D004279:DNA, Viral; D000939:Epitopes / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus; D006389:Hemagglutinins, Viral / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D014162:Transfection
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D000939:Epitopes; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus; D006389:Hemagglutinins, Viral