Transfer of Heightened Immunity to Skin Homografts by Lymphoid RNA *

Abstract

Heightened immunity to skin homografts from a California rabbit donor was transferred to New Zealand rabbits by the intravenous administration of autologous spleen cells incubated in vitro with homologous RNA extracted from the lymph nodes of a second New Zealand animal immunized against the same California donor. Immunity thus transferred was apparently specific for the tissues of the California donor since the survival of non-specific Dutch rabbit homografts in the same New Zealand test animals was not affected. The transfer of immunity by the RNA-treated lymphoid cells was abolished by exposure of the RNA preparation to small amounts of ribonuclease.