SOME CONSTITUENTS OF ELEMENTARY BODIES OF VACCINIA

Abstract

Treatment of elementary bodies of vaccinia with dilute solutions of sodium hydroxide resulted in the extraction of certain soluble materials accounting for half of the dry weight of the virus. Elementary bodies contained about 0.4 per cent inorganic phosphorus, practically all of which occurred in the form of a nucleoprotein containing thymus nucleic acid. In addition, a substance was recovered that reacted with S antibodies. From past experience one is led to believe that S antigen, as ordinarily encountered, is a protein which is not in combination with nucleic acid.