Isolation of Serum Fractions Capable of Producing Aleutian Disease in Mink

Abstract

Serum protein fractionation of pooled mink serum containing the disease principle was used in an attempt to achieve some relative purification of the agent capable of producing Aleutian disease (AD) in mink. All fractions of zone electrophoretic separations, γ, β, α and albumin as well as the three peaks of Sephadex G-200 separations, produced the disease when injected into normal mink. Some relative purification of serum protein fractions capable of producing AD was achieved using gradient elution diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) column chromatography. Initial fractions did not include the infectious principle, whereas later fractions eluted with pH 5.5–5.0, 0.25–0.3 M phosphate buffers produced the disease in injected mink. Rabbit antisera to DEAE fractions, known to contain infectivity for mink, showed no precipitating antibodies specific for AD serum when absorbed with normal mink serum.