HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Blough, H. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Blough, H. A. Agricola Articles by Blough, H. A.

Fatty Acid Composition of Individual Phospholipids of Influenza Virus

Departments of Ophthalmology and Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

The different fatty acid compositions of various strains of influenza virus are derived from homologous membranes such as the cells lining the allantoic sac of the embryonated chick egg (Tiffany & Blough, 1969). The lipoprotein-complex theory of membrane structure (Benson, 1966; Green & Perdue, 1966; Wallach & Gordon, 1968), as applicable to myxoviruses, suggests that lipids are bound specifically to apolar regions of the envelope polypeptide by hydrophobic interactions (Tiffany & Blough, 1969). If this hypothesis is correct, differences in molecular composition of the apolar paraffinic chains among various species of phospholipid are to be expected in order to permit the interaction of lipid and protein with maximum release of free energy. The purpose of this study was to test this hypothesis by comparison of the fatty acids of individual phospholipids in two strains of influenza virus.

Received 18 March 1971; accepted 7 June 1971.