Soluble components of adenovirus type 8.

Soluble components of type 8 adenovirus have been studied. Four different components were isolated by anion-exchange chromatography and purified by further chromatographic procedures, by zonal centrifugation, and by erythrocyte absorption and elution. The four components exhibited the following characteristics. (i) Fiber antigen was trypsin-resistant and functioned as incomplete hemagglutinin (agglutinated rat and human erythrocytes only in the presence of certain types of adenovirus antisera). (ii) The penton was trypsin-sensitive, exerted a cytotoxic effect, and also showed incomplete hemagglutination, being active in the presence of a majority of heterotypic adenovirus antisera studied. (iii) The group-specific hexon antigen reacted in complement fixation reaction and gel precipitation with sera prepared against other types of adenoviruses, besides showing characteristics indicating the presence of a type-specific antigen component. (iv) The soluble complete hemagglutinin was trypsin-sensitive, displayed cytotoxic effect, adsorbed easily to human and rat erythrocytes, and could be eluted from them by means of receptor-destroying enzyme. The three hemagglutinins of adenovirus type 8 proved to be highly unstable, and their demonstration was only successful by using a large quantity of freshly prepared concentrated virus material. Considering these conditions, a method was developed for their concentration and purification.