Immunochemical Studies on East Coast Fever: Ii. Partial Segregation and Characterization of The Theileria Parv a Piroplasm Antigen

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The piroplasm antigens of Theileria parva were isolated from infected bovine erythrocytes either by sonication or by French pressure cell disruption. A soluble bovine erythrocyte antigen was also isolated from both infected and non-infected blood. Both piroplasm and erythrocyte antigens were readily detected by either complement fixation or immunodiffusion tests. Partial characterizations were achieved by Sephadex G200 and Sepharose 2B chromatography, density gradient centrifugation, and precipitation by ammonium sulphate solution. Results indicated that the piroplasm antigen occurred in a wide molecular weight range of 4 to 20 million with an approximate sedimentation coefficient range of 7 to ISS. The Erythrocyte antigen had a molecular weight range of 20 to 40 million with sedimentation coefficient ranging from 3 to 9S. The piroplasm antigens were partially separable from the erythrocyte antigens by differential ammonium sulphate precipitations.