DECREASE OF BOUND SIALIC ACID AND INHIBITOR IN CHORIOALLANTOIC MEMBRANES INFECTED WITH INFLUENZA VIRUS

Tess, Bernard R. (University of Illinois at the Medical Center, Chicago) and J. Emerson Kempf. Decrease of bound sialic acid and inhibitor in chorioallantoic membranes infected with influenza virus. J. Bacteriol. 86:239-245. 1963.-During the adsorption period after the inoculation of chick embryos with the PR8 strain of influenza A virus, bound sialic acid (BSiA) in the chorioallantoic membranes decreased, presumably as a result of cleavage of surface glycoprotein by the viral neuraminidase. A further decrease occurred between 1 and 6 hr after infection, indicating that cleavage of the surface glycoprotein was continuing, and that the enzyme may have begun to act upon intracellular glycoprotein. Decreased levels of BSiA continued until 48 hr after infection, possibly as a result of continued intracellular enzyme activity plus destruction of glycoprotein as virus was released from the surface of the cells. BSiA began to increase 48 hr after infection, presumably because of regeneration of glycoprotein and its decreased destruction by the viral enzyme, since the process of infection was largely completed. Heat-stable hemagglutination inhibitor did not begin to decrease until 8 hr after infection; thereafter, the levels of BSiA and inhibitor appeared to be related.