Partial Purification of a Serum Factor that Causes Necrosis of Tumors

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 73; no. 2; pp. 381 - 385
• Main Authors: Green, Saul, Dobrjansky, Areta, Carswell, Elizabeth A., Kassel, R. L., Old, Lloyd J., Fiore, Nancy, Schwartz, Morton K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 01.02.1976; National Acad Sciences
• Subjects: Acetates; Alpha-Globulins - isolation & purification; Animals; BCG Vaccine; Blood Proteins - isolation & purification; Electrophoresis; Endotoxins; Enzymes; Fibrosarcoma - pathology; Fibrosarcoma - therapy; Galactosamine - blood; Gels; Glycoproteins; Glycoproteins - blood; Methylcholanthrene; Mice; Molecular Weight; Mycobacterium bovis; Necrosis; Neoplasms, Experimental - pathology; Neoplasms, Experimental - therapy; RNA; Sialic Acids - blood; Tumors
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.73.2.381

Tumor necrosis can be induced in transplanted mouse methylcholanthrene-induced sarcoma by a tumor necrosis factor in the serum of mice infected with bacillus Calmette-Guérin and given bacterial endotoxin. Sera from normal mice, endotoxin-treated mice, and mice infected with bacillus Calmette-Guérin do not contain this factor. A 20- to 30-fold purification of the serum factor has been achieved by (NH4)2SO4fractionation, Sephadex G-100 and G-200 gel filtration, and preparative polyacrylamide electrophoresis. Tumor necrosis factor is not bacterial endotoxin. It migrates with α -globulins, is made up of at least four sub-units, and has a molecular weight of about 150,000. The active factor is a glycoprotein that contains sialic acid and galactosamine.