Antigenic Relationship Between the Herpesviruses of Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis, Marek's Disease, and Burkitt's Lymphoma

Common herpesvirus (HV) antigens in infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), Marek's disease (MDV), and Burkitt's lymphoma (EBV) were found. Immunodiffusion tests in 0.7% agarose demonstrated a line of identity with the HV preparations by using specific antisera prepared against, IBR, MDV, and EBV. These common antigens were found to consist of multiple components: i.e., at least two MDV antigens were identical to IBR and EBV components when subjected to immunoelectrophoresis in 0.7% agarose. Indirect immunofluorescence testing of EBV strain P3HR-1 and IBR-infected embryonic bovine kidney cells, with antisera prepared against partially purified IBR, MDV, and EBV antigens, revealed identical activity of the three antisera as demonstrated by brilliant nuclear fluorescence (perinuclear clumping) in P3HR-1 cells and evenly distributed cytoplasmic activity in 18-hr IBR-infected bovine kidney cell cultures. Initial physical-chemical studies of the partially purified antigens were carried out by differential centrifugation cycles (6,000, 25,000 and 100,000 × g), rate zonal centrifugation in 5 to 20% sucrose density gradients, and analysis by disc electrophoresis in 5 and 7% polyacrylamide gels. These studies revealed similar molecular weight (>1,000,000) and size characteristics and similar electrophoretic mobilities among the three partially purified HV antigens.