title: Protection of mice with recombinant influenza virus neuraminidase.
abstract: Contemporary influenza vaccines are standardized with respect to their content of hemagglutinin, the major virus antigen. Although the immunizing effect of viral neuraminidase--the less abundant of the 2 major surface glycoproteins--has been well documented in experimental animals, the importance of the purified recombinant protein has not yet been adequately assessed in animals or humans. We demonstrate that different lots of a baculovirus-derived recombinant N2 protein, in the absence of other influenza virus proteins, can induce neuraminidase-specific antibodies, reduce the replication of both homologous and heterovariant virus in mice, and suppress disease, as it is manifested by total body weight loss.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA. ekilbourne@snet.net
authors.forename: Edwin D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Kilbourne
authors.forename: Barbara A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Pokorny
authors.forename: Bert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Brett
authors.forename: Youli
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Milev
authors.forename: James T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Matthews
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D016367:Baculoviridae / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009439:Neuraminidase / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology*; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015202:Protein Engineering; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014611:Vaccination; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D009439:Neuraminidase