%0 Journal Article %A Wraith, David C. %A Vessey, Angela E. %A Askonas, Brigitte A. %T Purified Influenza Virus Nucleoprotein Protects Mice from Lethal Infection %D 1987 %J Journal of General Virology, %V 68 %N 2 %P 433-440 %@ 1465-2099 %R https://doi.org/10.1099/0022-1317-68-2-433 %K cytotoxic T cells %K influenza A virus %K nucleoprotein %I Microbiology Society, %X SUMMARY Local administration of nucleoprotein purified from X31 (H3N2) influenza A virus primed for A virus cross-reactive cytotoxic T cells and resulted in substantial protection (75 %) of mice from a lethal challenge with the heterologous mouse-adapted A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) virus. By following the course of a lethal virus challenge we found that nucleoprotein priming did not prevent virus infection but rather aided recovery. Nucleoprotein-primed mice suffered initial symptoms of infection, i.e. weight loss and surface temperature changes, but started to recover after approximately 7 days. We suggest that such heterotypic protection can be attributed to priming of A virus crossreactive cytotoxic T cells. %U https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/0022-1317-68-2-433