Biological properties of Junin virus proteins. I. Identification of the immunogenic glycoprotein.

Purified Junin virus was disrupted by nonionic detergent treatment (Triton X-100), and subviral components were separated by ultracentrifugation. Only the soluble fraction, containing all of the major glycoprotein (mol.wt. 38,000), induced the formation of neutralizing antibodies in laboratory animals and protected them against subsequent challenge with live virus. Thus, the glycoprotein is the antigen responsible for these immunologic responses.