POTENCY OF PARTIALLY PURIFIED MALLEO-PROTEINS FOR MALLEIN TEST IN THEDIAGNOSIS OF GLANDERS IN EQUINES

Malleo-proteins from synthetic broth mallein of six strains of Pseudom onas mallei were separated by trichloroacetic acid precipitation, ammo nium sulfate precipitation and Ultrogel AcA 34 gel filtration chromato graphy. When tested comparatively with Dutch PPD mallein as standard o n P. mallei-sensitized and normal horses all the strains were found to be malleinogenic, trichloroacetic acid precipitated proteins were com parable to Dutch PPD mallein in potency and innocuity whereas ammonium sulfate-precipitated proteins elicited non-specific reactions. Ultrog el AcA 34 chromatographed high molecular weight proteins (MW range > 3 50 000) were having equal or higher potency and without adverse reacti ons and low molecular weight proteins (MW range 120 000-170 000) nearl y inactive. Ultrogel AcA 34 column fractionation studies revealed that mallein activity was associated with high molecular weight proteins a nd represented a purer sensitin than PPD mallein for the purpose of ma llein test.