Abstract
Toxotoxin produced in Yale Swiss mice by intraperitoneal infection with the Rh strain of Toxoplasma gondii was subjected to mild purification methods. These methods included; ammonium sulfate fractionation, pH 6.2 precipitation, Sephadex molecular sieve chromatography, Sephadex ion exchange chromatography and differential ultracentrifugation. A sequential procedure employing ammonium sulfate fractionated crude Toxotoxin (20-40 percent) was centrifuged at 150,000 x g for 90 minutes. The pelleted toxic fraction was chromatographed on Sephadex G-200. This three-step sequential procedure resulted in a toxic fraction which contained six of the original fourteen components found in the crude toxin. Data are also presented which confirm the high molecular weight of Toxotoxin. Evidence is also presented which indicates that Toxotoxin is made up of aggregate subunits. Lipid analysis showed that the phospholipid fraction of Toxotoxin comprised thirty five percent of the total lipid fraction. The incubation of whole cell Toxoplasma mouse exudate, cell free Toxotoxin and Toxoplasma cells with normal mouse serun was non-toxic.
Gennaro, Robert Nash (1973). Studies on the purification of the "Toxotoxin" produced by Toxoplasma gondii. Doctoral dissertation, Texas A&M University. Texas A&M University. Libraries. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /DISSERTATIONS -183410.