Species-Specific Antigens from the Cell Walls of the Agents of Meningopneumonitis and Feline Pneumonitis

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Abstract
Summary: When cell walls were prepared from the agents of meningopneumonitis and feline pneumonitis by treatment first with deoxycholate and then with trypsin, the group-specific antigens were found in the deoxycholate extract whereas the species-specific antigens remained in the cell walls. Group-specific antigens were demonstrated by complement fixation, whereas the presence of species-specific antigens was shown by both complement fixation and absorption of infectivity-neutralizing antibody. The deoxycholate extracts contained periodate-sensitive and periodate-resistant group antigens. The specific complement-fixing antigens of the cell walls resembled previously described specific antigens in being resistant to periodate but differed from them in not being destroyed by heating at 100°C. Unlike intact particles, the cell walls were not toxic for mice upon intravenous injection. The possible application of these findings to practical serology of the psittacosis group was discussed.