Complement-fixing antigen of human cytomegaloviruses.

The titer of complement-fixing (CF) antigen of human cytomegalovirus (CMV) strain C87 was not reduced by 10 cycles of freezing and thawing or by storage at 4 C for two months, although the virus was labile at 37 C and 100 C. The rapid increase in titers of CF antigen and plaque-forming units was seen from days 3 through 6 after infection; however, CF antigen was detected 24 hr after infection. The molecular weight of CF antigen was estimated by gel filtration to be greater than 1.5 X 10(7) daltons. Electrophoresis of CF antigens from five strains of human CMV (AD169, C87, Espilant [Esp.], Davis, and Towne) in a gradient polyacrylamide gel slab in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate revealed two specific polypeptides with molecular weights of 140,000 and 66,000 daltons, respectively. The smaller polypeptide was glycosylated. Preparations of CF antigen from murine CMV and herpes simplex virus type 1 contained polypeptides of 140,000 and 145,000 daltons, respectively. However, the polypeptide with a molecular weight of 66,000 daltons was seen only in preparations of human CMV.