Agar Gel Diffusion Method for the Study of Antigenic Components of Mumps Virus

Summary A modified agar gel diffusion system for detecting mumps precipitating antibodies was investigated. Mumps immune sera, when tested by a modified agar gel diffusion technique against concentrated soluble and viral antigens, showed a reaction only against the soluble antigen. When purified viral antigen was treated with peroxide-free ether for 15 to 30 min, a precipitating band, similar to that of the soluble antigen, was observed. Agar gel diffusion methods may be used as a rapid tool for determination of precipitating antibodies to mumps virus, and possibly may be applied to the study of antigenically related parainfluenza viruses.