Some properties of precipitating antigens associated with infectious bursal disease virus.

Infection of the bursa of Fabricius and chicken embryo fibroblast cell cultures with avian infectious bursal disease virus resulted in production of a number of virus-induced antigens. The antigens were specific, forming three precipitin lines by immunodiffusion with antiserum (designated PA-1, -2, and -3). To separate immunoprecipitin from the remaining viral particles, two (PA-1 and PA-3) were partially purified by subjection to two cycles of diethylaminoethyl-cellulose chromatography and filtration through a column of Sephadex G-150 gel. The precipitating antigen, PA-1, was found to migrate most slowly through the agar gel, remaining serologically active after treatment with heating (56 C for 1 h), trypsin, lipolytic solvents, deoxyribonuclease, and ribonuclease. Its density was 1.27 g/ml. Morphologically the antigen displayed a doughnut-shaped structure 8 to 12 nm in size. PA-3 migrated most rapidly through the agar gel. It was destroyed by treatment with heating and trypsin but not with lipolytic solvents, deoxyribonuclease, and ribonuclease. Density was about 1.25 g/ml. This suggests that the antigen is a part of viral structural components. PA-2 migrated through agar gel at a rate between that of PA-1 and PA-3. Because of its low concentration, PA-2 was not further characterized.