Abstract
In a previous report from this laboratory (1), the fractionation of ragweed pollen by extraction with various solvents was described. The different fractions were characterized by paper electrophoresis, free electrophoresis and ultracentrifugation. The fractions which were soluble in aqueous media displayed comparable cutaneous activity when tested by scratch on allergic individuals.
Since the water soluble components of ragweed pollen (WSR) were obtained under the least harsh conditions, they were accepted as most closely resembling the natural materials present in ragweed pollen. In this study, the water soluble extract (WSR) was further fractionated by paper electrophoresis and the various fractions were characterized both as to their physicochemical and allergenic properties.
Experimental Observations. Isolation of ragweed pollen fractions. As shown in our initial report (1), WSR could be resolved into pigment, carbohydrate, peptide and protein components by electrophoresis on paper.
In the present study a variety of buffers were used in order to establish the conditions for optimal resolution of WSR.
Footnotes
Support of this project by the Department of Health and Welfare, Canada, and the National Institutes of Health, Section of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, Md., is gratefully acknowledged.
We are also indebted to the Department of Veterans' Affairs, Ottawa, Charles E. Frosst Co., F. W. Horner Co., Montreal, and Eli Lilly Co., Indianapolis, for assistance.
