Inhibition of transcriptase activity of influenza A virus in vitro by anti-haemagglutinin antibodies.

An investigation was made of inhibition of transcriptase activity of influenza viruses in vitro by binding of antibody to the surface of the virion. Eight monoclonal antibodies which were directed against at least four non-overlapping antigenic regions of the haemagglutinin protein of A/Aichi/68 virus were tested for inhibitory effect. One of the antibodies directed against the B antigenic site, 22/1, inhibited transcriptase activity, while the other seven antibodies did not. Antibody from a hyperimmune rabbit serum to A/Udorn/72 (H3N2) virions inhibited the transcriptase activity of A/Udorn/72 and A/Aichi/68 (H3N2) viruses but not that of A/WSN/33 (H1N1). The antibody did not cause irreversible inactivation of the transcriptase since full activity was recovered by isolating ribonucleoprotein (RNP) cores from the inhibited virions using NP-40 treatment and subsequent centrifugation in a caesium sulphate density gradient. The antibody did not inhibit transcriptase activity of isolated RNP cores. The virion transcriptase activity was not inhibited by addition of the antiserum after the detergent treatment which is necessary for the activation of the transcriptase activity in vitro. These results suggest that the antibody blocks the activation process of the transcriptase by detergent treatment.