The role of antigenically different virus neuraminidases as structures implicated in receptor-binding processes

Influenza A viruses exhibit segmented nucleic acid coding for eight different proteins, two of them as glycoproteins exposed on their lipoprotein envelopes, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Hemagglutinin exhibits receptor-binding activity while neuraminidase develops sialidase cleavage activity which acts on cell receptors. Influenza A strains responsible for human, avian, equine and porcine respiratory infections all over the world present antigenically different hemagglutinin (H1 to H14) and neuraminidase (N1 to N9) structures on their surface. The objective of the present investigation was to study the role of N2, N8, and N9, antigenically diverse neuraminidase structures of human (N2) and animal (N8 and N9) influenza viruses, in the receptor-binding process. Receptor-binding activity of N2 and N8 was analyzed by crossed tests using H3N2 and H3N8 antisera and the hemagglutination inhibition test as a model. Hemagglutinating activity of antigenically different N2 and N8 structures was demonstrable and was inhibited by homologous antisera (N2-H3N2, N8-H3N8) but not by heterologous antisera (N2-H3N8,N8-H3N2). This previously demonstrated N9 hemagglutinating activity was analyzed for receptor-binding specificity using hemagglutination tests and NeuAc alpha2,3Gal and NeuAc alpha2,6Gal derivatized erythrocytes. This highly purified N9 strain was obtained from a virus strain isolated from terns by Dr. Peter Colman (CSIRO Division of Biomolecular Engineering, Parkville, Victoria, Australia). It exhibited receptor-binding specificity for NeuAc alpha2,3Gal sequences, a property similar to that observed in hemagglutinins from avian strains. These results indicate the importance of antigenically different neuraminidase structures as alternative agents for developing receptor-binding activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)