Abstracts Biological Sciences

A survey of the water soluble antigens of bovine brain together with the purification and characterization of a major organ-specific antigen.

by Victor B. Hatcher

Seventeen antigens were detected in saline extracts of bovine brain by immunodiffusion and immunoelectrophoretic experiments. The antisera were produced by intensive immunization of rabbits with saline extracts of whole bovine brain emulsified in complete Freund's adjuvant. Ten of the antigens were species specific and shared by other bovine organs, five antigens were organ-specific and common to the brains of other mammals, and two antigens had specificities that were both organ- and species restricted (OSR antigens). One of the major organ-specific antigens, designated alpha - BOSAB, has been purified from bovine brain by ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-cellulose chromatography, and preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The purified antigen had an electrophoretic mobility of an alpha - globulin, a molecular weight determined by gel-filtration of about 84,000, and contained approximately 2% hexose (Anthrone method). alpha - BOSAB contained about 20% of glutamic and aspartic acid. alpha - BOSAB was found in bovine glia and in embryonic human and bovine brains.