STUDIES ON THE HIGH MOLECULAR SUBSTANCES POSSESSING CHEMOTHERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY

The Nature of Antivirin, especially its Resistance against Heating and Proteolytic Enzyme-digestion

Abstract

A highly sensitive Antivirin testing system was obtained by measuring the intracellular viral amounts in treated and control cultures at 4 and 6 hours after infection. The resistance against heatingand proteolytic enzyme-digestion was confirmed to be a characteristic of Antivirin.
From the experiments of Gel-filtration using Sephadex G-200, the three active molecules, over 30 X 10⁴, 10-11 x10⁴ and 4-5x10⁴ in molecular weight, of Antivirin were found. 62% Ammonium sulfatesaturated fraction also was 4. 4x10⁴in molecular weight, and then it was not inactivated by heatingand trypsin-digestion. When Antivirin was filtered on the column of Sephadex G-200 after trypsin-digestion, the total activity of Antivirin was remained, while any of the three active molecules described above was not detected.
From these results, it may be suggested that Antivirin is about 5 x 104 in molecular weight in the native status, but the active element is smaller one.