PURIFICATION AND CRYSTALLIZATION OF DIPHTHERIA ANTITOXIN

Purified preparations of diphtheria antitoxin have been obtained by digestion of the toxin-antitoxin complex with trypsin, followed by fractional precipitation with ammonium sulfate. The various fractions obtained in this way are all 90 per cent or more precipitated by diphtheria toxin but combine with different quantities of the toxin. The fraction precipitated between 0.33 and 0.5 saturated ammonium sulfate is homogeneous by electrophoresis and ultracentrifuge but does not have constant solubility. A small amount of a more soluble fraction has been obtained which does have constant solubility and satisfies the criteria of a pure protein. This protein crystallizes readily in poorly formed thin plates. It is very unstable and reverts to a less soluble non-crystallizable form. It has a sedimentation constant of 5.7 x 10(–13) and a molecular weight of 90,500. It has an antitoxic value of 700–900 flocculation units per mg. protein nitrogen and has an antitoxic value by the protection test of about 700 units per mg. protein nitrogen. The precipitation range of the purified antitoxin with purified toxin is much wider than that with crude preparations.