Precipitin response of cattle to bovine papilloma virus.

Precipitins for bovine papilloma virus (BPV) which developed following experimental infection of 21 calves were character ized by diethylaminoethyl-cellulose chromatography, gel filtration with Sephadex G-200, sucrose density gradient, and ana lytic ultracentrifugation. A 19 S antibody alone was found 1 week after initial exposure to BPV which persisted at demon strable levels for 8 weeks. Both 19 S and 7 S antibodies were found between 2 and 8 weeks. A 7 S antibody alone was consistently found in serums 16 weeks after the initial expo sure to BPV. Precipitins appeared earlier than development of resistance to reinfection with BPV, and their presence in serum could not be correlated with growth or regression of the bo vine fibropapillomas.