In order to elucidate the antigenic structure of poliovirus, the reactivity of antibody produced with H antigenic particles of Mahoney strain (polio type 1) was investigated.
Injection of H particles of Mahoney strain into rabbits yielded neutralizing antibody as well as CF-N and CF-H antibodies. This result coincided with the report by Hinuma and coworkers. Neutralization tests with inhibitor resistant Mahoney mutants revealed that the neutralizing antibody produced with H particles was of HN31 type, one of the five different kinds of polio neutralizing antibodies reported previously (14). Absorption experiments with H particles on different neutralizing antibodies and analysis of antibody eluted by acid dissociation from antiserum-treated H particles also showed that the HN31 type antibody specifically combined with H particles ofMahoney strain.
Since the H particle of poliovirus is known to be deficient in VP4, these results seems to indicate that the HN31 type antibody reacts with a structural part (s) of poliovirus other than VP4.