Experiments with Bacteriophage Supporting the Lattice-Hypothesis

[摘要] Sensitized coliphage adheres firmly to a specific precipitate of coliphage; sensitized staphylococcal phage does not, nor does sensitized coliphage stick to heterologous specific precipitates. A reaction which is also specific can be shown to occur between sensitized and unsensitized phage in solution. These facts can only be explained in terms of the lattice-hypothesis and multivalence of antibody.The weak adsorption of sensitized phage to heterologous specific precipitates is quantitatively very similar to the adsorption of sensitized (or unsensitized) phage to unsensitized bacteria, which may be regarded as indifferent adsorbents. These adsorptions are reversible, in contrast to the specific adsorption. No evidence is obtained, therefore, that sensitization makes antigens sticky; and these experiments do not support the view that some mechanism of aggregation auxiliary to lattice formation operates in the systems tested (phage, serum proteins, type III pneumococcal polysaccharide, E. coli, Brucella ).We conclude that the aggregative stage of immune reactions is primarily a reaction between the immuno-specific valences responsible for the initial combination of antibody and antigen, in accord with the hypothesis of Marrack, and Heidelberger and Kendall.

[学科分类] 生物科学（综合）