Murine leukemia viruses: antigenic studies by quantitative complement fixation.

The murine leukemia viruses of Rauscher and Friend, derived from plasnma of infected Balb/c mice, was purified. Their antigenic relationship was studied by quantitative complement-fixation reactions with the virion antigen and homologous antiserums. The complement-fixation curves observed in cross-reactions indicated close antigenic similarity between these two leukemia viruses. Highly purified viral preparations contained detectable amounts of host antigens.