Conversion of the Phase I Antigen of Coxiella Burnetii to Hapten by Phenol Treatment.

Anacker, R. L. (Rocky Mountain Laboratory, Hamilton, Mont.), W. T. Haskins, D. B. Lackman, E. Ribi, and E. G. Pickens. Conversion of the phase I antigen of Coxiella burnetii to hapten by phenol treatment. J. Bacteriol. 85:1165-1170. 1963.-Trichloroacetic acid extracts of Coxiella burnetii are converted to hapten by treatment with phenol. Such extracts react, like the original trichloroacetic acid extract, at high dilution in the complement-fixation test and produce zones of precipitate with specific antibody in gel diffusion tests; but, unlike the parent extract, injection of the phenol-treated extract neither induces resistance to challenge in guinea pigs nor antibody formation in guinea pigs, rabbits, or mice. This loss of antigenicity is correlated with removal of protein from the original product.