The Amino Acid and Carbohydrate Composition of the Neuraminidase of B/Lee/40 Influenza Virus

Abstract

The neuraminidase of B/Lee/40 influenza virus was isolated following detergent dissociation or tryptic digestion of virus particles and the amino acid and carbohydrate compositions of the 2 preparations are reported. The carbohydrate side-chains of the neuraminidase contain only N-acetylglucosamine, galactose, mannose and fucose; they are attached by N-acetylglucosamine-asparagine linkages, and the MW of the neuraminidase subunit and the intact molecule are about 70,000 and 280,000, respectively. More than 50% of the carbohydrate is attached to the membrane-associated stalk of the molecule and in this stalk region the subunits are linked by disulfide bonds.