PURIFICATION OF COXIELLA-BURNETII ANTIGEN BY GEL-CHROMATOGRAPHY FOR USE IN ENZYME-LINKED-IMMUNOSORBENT-ASSAY (ELISA)

Cell wall antigens from Coxiella burnetii were extracted by heat, ultr asonication, phenol, SDS or sodium deoxycholate. These antigens were s ubsequently purified by gelchromatography yielding molecular weights o f 700 and 270 KD. Using gelchromarographical purification of antigens extracted by heat, ultrasonocation or phenol Coxiella antigens nearly devoid of contaminations could be obtained. Of these highly purified a ntigens hear extracted antigen was treated with proteases, lysozyme or metaperiodate exemplaryly. These treatments did neither destroy nor c hange its antigenic activity, except for the treatment with metaperiod ate reducing the antigenic activity significantly. In further experime nts heat extracted and gelchromatographically purified Coxiella antige n was used for testing bovine sera in ELISA.