Purification of Coxiella burnetii Antigen by Gelchromatography for Use in Enzyme‐Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA)*

Abstract

Summary Cell wall antigens from Coxiella burnetii were extracted by heat, ultrasonication, phenol, SDS or sodium deoxycholate. These antigens were subsequently purified by gelchromatography yielding molecular weights of 700 and 270 KD. Using gelchromatographical purification of antigens extracted by heat, ultrasonocation or phenol Coxiella antigens nearly devoid of contaminations could be obtained. Of these highly purified antigens heat extracted antigen was treated with proteases, lysozyme or metaperiodate exemplaryly. These treatments did neither destroy nor chànge its antigenic activity, except for the treatment with metaperiodate reducing the antigenic activity significantly. In further experiments heat extracted and gelchromatographically purified Coxiella antigen was used for testing bovine sera in ELISA.