Compound purification and comparison of adenovirus hexons.

Hexon antigens were separated from the cell-free supernatant of type 1 and type 8 adenovirus-infected cells by ammonium sulfate precipitation and purified by anion exchange chromatography, immune absorption, and exclusion chromatography. The antigens were compared with purified soluble hexons extracted from cells infected with the same adenovirus types. The procedure was found to be suitable for the preparation of pure, homogeneous type 1 hexons from the supernatant, but not for that of adenovirus type 8 hexons. Comparative studies showed no physico-chemical, immunological or electron microscopic differences between soluble hexons of extracellular and intracellular origin.