Hemagglutinin

hemagglutinin, any of a group of naturally occurring glycoproteins that cause red blood cells (erythrocytes) to agglutinate, or clump together. These substances are found in plants, invertebrates, and certain microorganisms. Among the best-characterized hemagglutinins are those that occur as surface antigens (foreign proteins that stimulate the production of antibodies) on viruses in the family Orthomyxoviridae, which contains the influenza viruses, and the family Paramyxoviridae, which contains a number of pathogenic viruses, including those that cause measles.

The presence of hemagglutinin on influenza viruses enables the viruses to bind to sialic acid on the surfaces of cells in host animals. This binding facilitates host infection, thereby contributing to the virulence of the viruses. A similar mechanism is believed to contribute to the infectious nature of measles virus. Viral hemagglutinin stimulates the production of antibodies by the host’s immune system. These antibodies bind to a portion of the hemagglutinin antigen known as an epitope, thereby tagging the virus for immune destruction. In the case of influenza viruses, mutations in the genes encoding hemagglutinin can give rise to new epitopes that enable the viruses to escape antibody recognition. These mutations may result from antigenic drift or antigenic shift—processes that can give rise to influenza viruses capable of causing epidemics or pandemics. There are 16 forms of hemagglutinin, designated H1 through H16, associated with influenza type A viruses. Together with various forms of a viral antigenic protein called neuraminidase, hemagglutinin is used to distinguish between subtypes of influenza A viruses (e.g., H1N1, H5N1).

Antibodies to viruses that possess hemagglutinin antigens can be detected through a hemagglutinin-inhibition test. If a person or animal is carrying such antibodies, the agglutination of red blood cells will be prevented (see serological test).