Heterogeneous properties of BLV-precipitating immunoglobulins in bovine leukemic sera.

Purified precipitating serum antibodies against bovine leukemia virus present in cattle suffering from various stages of leukosis were identified as immunoglobulins of the IgG 1 subclass and IgA class. Each of these precipitating immunoglobulins exhibited several electrical charges as well as molecular sizes the origin of which will be discussed. Differences in precipitating activities against antigen gp69 and p24 could be observed comparing serum from a suspect animal and a highly leukemic one. In disrupted BLV preparations four antigens were detected immunoelectrophoretically, and two of them could be analyzed. Antigen gp69 less basic than p24 showed a considerably faster mobility.