Augmentation of the antibody forming cell response to neuraminidase-treated cells by myxoviruses.

Following the inoculation of Newcastle Disease virus, Sendai virus and influenza virus CBA mice made a specific plaque-forming cell response to virus-treated sheep red blood cells but not to virus-treated L1210 cells. This non-specific response to virus-treated L1210 could be exactly reproduced by treatment of L1210 with bacterial neuraminidase. Neuraminidase-treated cells from eight of nine vertebrates including chickens and syngeneic mice also registered plaques. Inoculations of the above viruses were considered to have evoked separate antibody forming cell responses to viral antigens, foreign cell components in the virus inoculum and to neuraminidase revealed cell membrance antigens.