Antigens of cowpox virus

Abstract

Cowpox soluble antigen is shown by gel-diffusion studies to contain at least nine precipitable substances whose presence is induced by virus infection. One of these substances, pattern component d, is not produced in white cowpox infections, and its production in vaccinia infection can be inferred only from the presence of small amounts of anti-d in anti-vaccinia sera.Comparison of cowpox with vaccinia has led to the recognition of a further line pattern component f which is readily demonstrated as a soluble precipitable substance in simple buffer extracts of vaccinia-infected tissue, but is demonstrated in extracts of cowpox-infected tissue only with difficulty; anti-f antibody is readily detected in antisera prepared against cowpox, white cowpox, and vaccinia.