The Relation between the Tetanus Toxin-Fixing and Influenza Virus-Inhibiting Properties of Ganglioside

Abstract

The capacity of a number of gangliosides to fix tetanus toxin and to inhibit haemagglutination by influenza virus was investigated. Toxin fixation increased with total sialic acid content but not in strict proportion. Whether or not the sialic acid is bound by neuramidase-labile linkage appears to be irrelevant in determining whether toxin is fixed. Viral inhibition by ganglioside also is related to the total content of sialic acid; but there exists at least one ganglioside which has very little capacity to react with virus and whose sialic acid is virtually all insensitive to neur-aminidase. Tetanus toxin does not prevent neuraminidase from attacking ganglioside.