[Structure and function of virus-induced antigens in cultured cells infected with Marek's disease and turkey herpes viruses. I. Alteration of the immunological specificity of plasma membranes in infected cells (author's transl)].

Virus-induced proteins were detected in the plasma membranes of cells infected with Marek's disease (MDV) and turkey herpes (HVT) viruses and analyzed by biochemical and serological methods. The virus-induced membrane proteins were shown to induce virus-neutralizing antibodies and to protect inoculated chickens against the challenge infection with oncogenic MDV. Two virus-induced proteins at least were also demonstrated by the SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the purified plasma membranes from infected cells. The solubilized membrane proteins formed two precipitin lines if reacted with MDV antisera. Hyperimmune sera prepared in rabbits against the membrane antigens neutralized infectious cell-free HVT. By binding of specific immunoglobulins the buoyant density of the plasma membranes was found to be increased by 30 mg/ml to 1.08 g/ml. In protection experiments the specific mortality and lesions of chickens vaccinated with purified plasma membrane preparations from HVT-infected cells was reduced by 94%. Analogous membrane alterations, however, have never been observed in the membranes of Marek's diseases lymphoblastoid tumour cells.