Mixed Agglutination in Tissue Culture

Abstract

The mixed agglutination procedure was employed for studying antigens on the monolayer of 7- to 10-day-old cell cultures of various species origin. Cell cultures were incubated with antisera of rabbit origin and the sensitization of cells by antibodies was detected by an indicator system consisting of sheep red blood cells sensitized by a rabbit anti-sheep erythrocyte serum and agglutinated by a goat antiserum to rabbit serum. The reactions were species-specific and only weak interspecies cross reactions were observed. Antisera against tissue suspensions, but not those against tissue extracts, were active. The activity of the antisera could be readily removed by absorption with dried and pulverized tissues, but it was virtually not affected by absorption with tissue extracts, erythrocytes and blood serum. The absorbing capacity of the tissue powder was completely destroyed by heating at 100°C or by treatment with 95% ethanol. No organ-specific antigens could be demonstrated on the cell culture of bovine adrenal medulla even though anti-adrenal sera were employed which contained very potent medulla-specific antibodies. It was concluded that the dominant antigens detectable on a living mammalian cell are species-specific, saline non-extractable antigens, possibly of protein character. In addition to these antigens, the Forssman antigen could be detected on cultures of cells originating from Forssman positive animals.