The nucleic acid and carbohydrate content of influenza virus A and of virus fractions produced by ether disintegration

Abstract

The preparation of purified influenza virus from infected allantoic fluid is described, and its fractionation by ether treatment with the production of pure samples of soluble antigen and haemagglutinin. Chemical analysis of intact infective virus showed it to have a nitrogen content of 9.3%, a carbohydrate content of 3.5%, and a content of ribonucleic acid of 0.7–0.74%. Purified soluble antigen derived from the infective virus particle was shown to be a ribonucleoprotein containing 5.3% RNA. No carbohydrate other than ribose was found. Purified haemagglutinin was shown to be a mucoprotein containing 4.2% of a polysaccharide possibly composed of galactose and mannose in equimolar proportions.