Antigenic difference between intracellular and membrane antigens induced by herpesvirus of turkeys.

The difference between intracellular antigen (IA) and membrane antigen (MA) induced by herpesvirus of turkeys (HVT) was examined by immunofluorescence analysis. Convalescent sera from chickens infected with HVT (HVT convalescent serum) and hyperimmune sera from chickens immunized with partially pruified virus (anti-HVT particle serum) or with a major HVT soluble precipitin antigen (anti-common Ag serum) were used as the source of antisera to specify both antigens in these experiments. Absorption of a convalescent serum from HVT-inoculated chicken with IA positive cells, resulted in reduction of their reactivity to IA but not to MA. Differential absorption of the hyperimmune sera by IA positive cells and MA positive cells resulted in reduction of their reactivity to homologous cells but not to heterlogous cells which were used in the absorptions. When the relationship between the levels of anti-IA and anti-MA antibodies was examined by a blocking immunofluorescence test using 38 sera from chickens inoculated with HVT, no correlation was observed (p greater than 0.25). These results provide evidence that MA and IA are antigenically different from each other.