CHEMICAL AND IMMUNOLOGICAL STUDIES ON THE AGENT PRODUCING LEUKOSIS AND SARCOMA OF FOWLS.

The activity of the agent producing sarcoma or leukosis in material deposited by high speed centrifugation is the same as that of the original crude extracts. Material sedimentable at high speed containing approximately 10(-5) mg. N produces tumors at the site of injection. Small quantities of material sedimentable at high speed are present in normal chicken sera, and about twice as much in leukemic sera (strain 1). Normal chicken and mouse spleens and all other human and mouse tissues examined contain large amounts of material sedimentable at high speed. Extraction of leukemic blood cells with saline yields little additional virus. The washed cells readily produce leukosis even after irradiation with amounts of x-rays sufficient to destroy the leukemic cells but not the virus. Freezing at -60 degrees C. preserves the activity of the high speed deposits for at least 6 months. Addition of 5 per cent of saturated Na(2)SO(4) solution slightly delays deterioration of high speed deposits in the ice box. Most of the agent measured by inoculation of chickens and the fraction sedimentable at high speed measured by its nitrogen content is precipitated by one-third saturation with sodium sulfate.