RUBELLA-INFECTED cell cultures produce infectious virus, a hemagglutinin (HA), and two distinct complement-fixing (CF) antigens. Also, concentrates of infected cultures will react with rubella antibodies to produce immunoprecipitates in agarose gels. In this laboratory we have been concerned with studying some of the physicochemical properties of the various rubella antigens, with determining the relationship of the antigens to one another, and also with studying the immunological properties of the antigens.
Materials and Methods
Rubella virus (RV strain) was propagated in the BHK-21 line of baby hamster kidney cells. The cells were first dispersed with trypsin and then infected in suspension at a ratio of approximately 1 InD50 of virus per cell. After incubation at 37 C for 1 ½ hours, the inoculum was removed, and the cells were planted in growth medium consisting of 10% fetal bovine serum and 90% Eagle's minimum essential medium (MEM). After one day of