Differentiation of the haemagglutinin genes of variant influenza viruses by RNA-RNA hybridization.

The genetic compositions of four antigenic variants of A/Memphis/1/71 (H3N2) influenza virus, which were selected by growth in the presence of monoclonal antibodies against the haemagglutinin, were compared. The results indicate that the mutant haemagglutinin genes can be differentiated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the double stranded RNA hybrids formed between virion RNA and transcripts isolated from infected cells.