A Quantitative Aspect of the Hypothetical Incorporation of Injected Antigen in Resulting Antibody

Abstract

Summary: From the quantitative interrelations of an immune serum prepared by the injection of an arsenic-containing diazo-protein, and as test-antigen, a heterologous arsenic-containing diazo-protein, we calculate conservatively that the Buchnerian hypothesis which claims antibody to be a conjugate of injected antigen and body-globulin, demands the presence of at least 2.5 and more probably 2500 times as much arsenic in the immune serum as could possibly be there according to the testimony of direct quantitative chemical test. The number of chemically defined groups (haptens) entering the molecule during preparation of a synthetic diazo-protein is determined and shown to agree with the theoretical. The proportion of protein-combined haptens necessary for visible specific precipitation is approximated for one antigen-antibody system. A suggestion is given as to the number of specific combining groups (anti-haptens) in one molecule of the antibody in question.