Marek's disease herpesviruses. IV. Molecular characterization of Marek's disease herpesvirus A antigen.

Marek's disease herpesvirus A antigen (MDHV-A) was identified as a 61,000- to 65,000-dalton glycoprotein by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis after immunoprecipitation from the culture medium of both [35S]methionine- and [14C]glucosamine-labeled infected cells by specific rabbit serum directed against MDHV-A. Rigorous identification was accomplished by selective blocking of this specific immunoprecipitation of the glycoprotein with purified MDHV-A that was isolated at its characteristic isoelectric point. These results identify and characterize MDHV-A in terms of the previously determined physical and chemical properties of the antigen. A molecule of similar size was immunoprecipitated from the culture medium of cells infected with herpesvirus of turkeys, extending previous observations about the identity of a potentially important common antigen shared by MDHV and the nonpathogenic vaccine virus, herpesvirus of turkeys.