The Relationship of the Influenza Virus Inhibitory Activity of Glycoproteins to Their Molecular Size and Sialic Acid Content

Twenty-four different glycoproteins were investigated for their ability to inhibit hemagglutination by the A/PRS and the B/Md influenza virus strains. A relationship between activity, the molecular size, and sialic acid content was found. This relationship was readily shown for the A/PR8 virus if the properties of the glycoproteins were compared with one another on a per cent basis. A proportion of approximately 1:1:1 for activity (weight basis) to moles sialic acid content to molecular weight existed for each inhibitory glycoprotein with more than 3 per cent sialic acid, on comparison with any other active glycoprotein. A 1:3 correspondence between viral subunit and sialic acid residues of the inhibitor ovine submaxillary mucin was found experimentally and confirmed by calculation on a molecular model. The most potent inhibitors, were the antigens of the human blood-group MN system and the Tamm-Horsfall urinary glycoprotein.