Radioimmunoassay of the Influenza Virus Nucleoprotein

Presented here are the results of analysing the nucleoprotein (NP) of influenza virus by radioimmunoassay (RIA) on polyethylene film, with the use of monoclonal antibodies (MABs). The method has been shown to provide an effective key to assessing NP variability in influenza A viruses. Exposure of the virus to certain physical agents has led to the assumption that the structure of NP antigenic determinants is fairly complex and that their configuration and arrangement in the NP are dissimilar. The influence of the disintegration of tritium, incorporated into viral DNA, on the capacity of NP antigenic determinants to bind with MABs has been investigated. The absence of qualitative antigenic variations in different ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) of “standard” and “incomplete” viruses alike has been revealed within a single influenza virus strain. Also, the intracellular NP has been shown to have extracellular virus antigenic determinants during maturation of the influenza virus.