Preparation of antisera to group-specific antigens of avian leukosis-sarcoma viruses: an alternate approach.

Immunization of rabbits with a pooled preparation of chromato-graphically purified avian myeloblastosis virus (AMV) group-specific (gs) antigens produced relatively large volumes of antiserum that was as broadly reactive in complement-fixation (CF) tests as antiserum produced in hamsters with tumors induced by Rous sarcoma virus. This alternate procedure should be of value for routine preparation of leukosis virus gs antiserum. Other antisera prepared against disrupted AMV had spurious reactivities that confused CF testing of embryos and tissue extracts. This artifact was attributed to the high affinity of serum albumin for AMV virions and the resultant production of antibodies when plasma-derived AMV was used as immunogen. A high-molecular-weight AMV CF antigen was also found in early fractions eluted from an agarose-gel column.