Investigation on the mechanisms of the failure of human influenza virus to replicate in chick embryo cell cultures.

Thirteen strains of human influenza virus producing in chick embryo cell (CEC) cultures either virions with low infectivity or no virions were studied. In CEC, most of the strains induced synthesis of viral RNA, polypeptides, and ribonucleoprotein and produced functionaly active haemagglutinin, neuraminidase and virions lower infectivity. The low infectivity of virions produced by strains of this functional group was due to disturbed cleavage of a polypeptide, haemagglutinin precursor, formed in CEC, into a heavy a light haemagglutinin chain. Two strains belonging to another functional group induced no synthesis of virus-specific macromolecules in CEC, but were able to adsorb onto the cells. With one of these viruses, no transcription of parental RNA could be detected in CEC. There was no relationship between the grouping of the studied strains into a certain functional group with their antigenic characteristics, the year of isolation, the passage history in chick embryos and human pathogenicity.