Structural proteins of mammalian oncogenic RNA viruses: multiple antigenic determinants of the major internal protein and envelope glycoprotein.

The antigenic determinants of two purified protein constituents of mammalian C-type RNA viruses, the major structural protein of about 30,000 daltons, and the membrane glycopeptides of about 70,000 daltons were examined by competition radioimmunoassay. By the appropriate choice of antiserum and competing proteins, it was possible to distinguish type-specific, group-specific, and interspecies determinants. Both of the viral constituents were found to contain each of these three classes of antigens. The results suggested that the majority of the determinants of the major structural protein were group specific, 5% to 30% were interspecies, and a small fraction were type specific. In the case of the envelope glycopeptides, the chief determinants were type and group specific, and a small fraction were interspecies.