Читать книгу Principles of Virology - Jane Flint, S. Jane Flint - Страница 92

Members of the Adenoviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, and Paramyxoviridae, among others, contain proteins that bind to erythrocytes (red blood cells); these viruses can link multiple cells, resulting in formation of a lattice. This property is called hemagglutination. For example, influenza viruses contain an envelope glycoprotein called hemagglutinin (HA), which binds to N-acetylneuraminic acid-containing glycoproteins on erythrocytes. In practice, 2-fold serial dilutions of the virus stock are prepared, mixed with a known quantity of red blood cells, and added to small wells in a plastic tray (Fig. 2.10). Unlinked red blood cells tumble to the bottom of the well and form a sharp dot or button. In contrast, agglutinated red blood cells form a diffuse lattice that coats the well. Because the assay is rapid (30 min), it is often used as a quick indicator of the relative quantities of virus particles. However, it is not sufficiently sensitive to detect small numbers of particles.