[Immunochemical characteristics of the antigens of a variant tick-borne encephalitis virus adapted to Hyalomma plumbeum ticks].

A comparative study of immunochemical properties of a preparation of the virion antigen of a variant of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus adapted to H. plumbeum ticks (clone 718/574) and the parental TBE strain revealed the following features: (1) immunoelectrodiffusion test revealed no immunoprecipitation rockets directed towards cathode in the clone 718/574 preparation; anodic precipitates differed in shape from those of the parental strain; (2) diffuse precipitation in agar showed a reaction of incomplete identity between the virion antigen of clone 718/574 and the parental strain antigen, the clone 718/574 antigen forming only one precipitation band in contrast to two precipitation bands of the parental strain; (3) immune electron microscopy demonstrated a peculiar nature of the halo-overlay by immunoglobulins of clone 718/574 virions differing from that of the parental strain.