Isolation of skin test-active preparations from yeast-phase cells of Blastomyces dermatitidis.
Cell wall and cytoplasmic fractions were isolated from mechanically disrupted yeast-phase cells of Blastomyces dermatitidis in an effort to obtain a reliable skin-test antigen. The biological activities of these fractions were compared with those of two blastomycin preparations. The cytoplasmic antigens exhibited a low index of specificity yet exceeded the specificities of the blastomycins. The skin test-active component(s) of the cytoplasmic material had a molecular weight between 10,000 and 30,000 and could easily be concentrated by ultrafiltration on a PM-10 membrane. Unlike the cytoplasmic antigens and blastomycins, an alkali-soluble, water-soluble cell wall antigen effectively distinguished guinea pigs that were sensitized to B. dermatitidis from those sensitized to Histoplasma capsulatum. The biological activity of the yeast-phase antigen could be quantitated, on a weight basis, after purification by ultrafiltration (PM-10 membrane).
D000818:Animals; D000946:Antigens, Fungal; D001758:Blastomyces / Q000276:immunology*; D002458:Cell Fractionation; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000276:immunology; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000276:immunology; D000939:Epitopes; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006658:Histoplasma / Q000276:immunology; D006659:Histoplasmin; D007114:Immunization; D008297:Male; D012882:Skin Tests
D000946:Antigens, Fungal; D000939:Epitopes; D006659:Histoplasmin