The structure and composition of the myxoviruses: III. The interaction of influenza virus particles with cytoplasmic particles derived from normal chorioallantoic membrane cells

Abstract

Concentrated preparations of cytoplasmic particles derived from normal egg chorioallantoic membranes are agglutinated by concentrated preparations of influenza virus, and this agglutination is prevented by treatment of the cytoplasmic particles with receptor-destroying enzyme. The agglutination disappears rapidly on incubation, and apart from a slight increase in complement-fixing antigen titer the serological properties and infectivity of the virus are unaltered. The virus particle is, however, modified. Studies with virus labeled with P 32 indicate some breakdown of the virus lipoprotein with release of free lipid. When mixtures of virus and normal cell particles are made and immediately examined in the electron microscope, virus particles are seen to be adherent to normal cell particles and to become engulfed by them. The virus membrane shows a patchy disintegration, and the particles burst and release the inner component. The same disintegration is seen in particles which do not appear to be inside normal cell particles. Preparations examined 20 minutes after mixing show total disintegration of the virus. It is suggested that the observed phenomena represent the first stage of the disintegration of virus which occurs in the living cell, and that this first stage is a disintegration of the virus lipoprotein membrane with release of free lipid.