Partial purification and characterization of Gastrothylax crumenifer somatic antigens

The soluble extracts of Gastrothylax crumenifer isolated from the rumen of buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) were fractionated on a Sephadex G-200 column. A t otal of eight major fractions (FI, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6, F7, and F8) were sep arated from the whole homogenate of G. crumenifer, and each of these fracti ons was tested for their antigenicity by ELISA against rabbit hyperimmune s era. It was observed that Fl, F2, F3 and F4 were highly antigenic, F6 and F 7 were moderately antigenic and F5 and F8 were poorly antigenic. The indivi dual fractions analysed after SDS-PAGE and Western blotting indicated that the antigenic fractions of G. crumenifer are of low molecular weight, in th e range of < 14-50 kDa, and predominant antigenic components which were evi dent in most of the Sephadex profiles were of Mr 15, 18, 19, 23-24 and 28-3 2 kDa. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.