Glycoprotein gp118 of varicella-zoster virus: purification by serial affinity chromatography

Glycoprotein gp118, one of the major glycosylated proteins specified by varicella-zoster virus, is biologically of great importance since it possesses an epitope which elicits a complement-independent neutralizing antibody response. To purify this glycoprotein from a Nonidet-solubilized extract of varicella-zoster virus-infected cells, we examined its affinity to a variety of ligands, including two lectins--concanavalin A and Lens culinaris, Cibacron blue and heparin, and finally an immunoadsorbent anti-gp118 monoclonal antibody. By serial affinity chromatography on three different columns consisting of, respectively (i) Cibacron blue dye-Sepharose, (ii) L. culinaris-Sepharose, and (iii) anti-gp118 murine monoclonal antibody bound to CNBr-activated Sepharose, we isolated varicella-zoster virus-specific gp118 essentially free of contamination by any other radiolabeled viral or cellular polypeptide. The fold purification was estimated at 1,025 and the percent recovery at 13.6. On the basis of its chromatographic properties, gp118 appeared to contain mainly asparagine-linked, biantennary, complex-type, and hybrid-type oligosaccharides.