The Kinetics of Neutralization of Venezuelan Equine Encephalomyelitis Virus by Antiserum and the Reversibility of the Reaction

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Abstract
SUMMARY The neutralization of Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis virus followed first-order kinetics, with the reaction rate dependent on the antibody con- centration and the reaction temperature but independent of pH and virus concentration within the prescribed limits. The linear relationship obtained between the neutralization reaction rate constant (k) and antiserum dilution showed that k increased fivefold for each tenfold dilution of antiserum. The energy of activation, calculated from an Arrhenius plot of the data, was approximately 9ooo cal./mole of virus. Each IO ° change in temperature (Q10) altered the k value by a factor of I'7. In the presence of excess antibody, a small fraction of virus resisted neutralization. Neutralized virus could not be appreciably reactivated by simple dilution under physiological conditions but was dissociated at either acid or alkaline pH values. Re-neutralization of virus occurred when the environmental medium was adjusted to neutrality, indicating that reactivation was the result of dissociation and not denatura- tion. Neutralized virus could be attached to cell monolayers and reactivated to an infectious state by treatment at acid pH.

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