Antigens of Coxiella burnetii. I. Extraction of antigens with non-aqueous organic solvents.

Abstract

Summary 1.Dimethylsulfoxide and dimethylacetamide have been shown to be capable of extracting protective antigen from the Ohio 314 (Phase I) strain of Coxiella burnetii but not from the Nine Mile (Phase II) strain. 2.The antigen extracted from either strain by these organic solvents fixes complement in the presence of specific antiserum and is precipitable by specific antiserum. 3.The antigen preparations are markedly less toxic than whole organisms in normal animals and much less reactive in the skin of sensitized guinea pigs and rabbits. 4.Some physical and chemical properties of the extracts are given, and the character of the response in guinea pigs to immunization with antigen preparations made from Phase I and Phase II organisms is described.