The complex formation of influenza virus envelope glycoproteins with outer membrane proteins of Neisseria meningitidis or Borrelia burgdorferi.

The isolation of influenza virus envelope glycoproteins was achieved by one-step procedure consisting of treatment of purified virus with zwitterionic detergent and separation of viral constituents by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. Viral glycoproteins and proteins of outer membrane of N. meningitidis or B. burgdorferi formed complexes after removal of the detergent by dialysis. Complexing of viral glycoproteins and bacterial proteins was monitored by gel chromatography on Sepharose 6B, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and electron microscopy. It was demonstrated by immunoblot analysis, that virus-spirochete complexes elicited formation of antibodies in mice directed against osp A and osp B of spirochete, as well as against viral glycoproteins, respectively.