HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Mäkelä, O. Articles by Nossal, G. J. V. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Mäkelä, O. Articles by Nossal, G. J. V.

Bacterial Adherence: A Method for Detecting Antibody Production by Single Cells¹

From the Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California

Abstract

A technique believed to be a further method for the detection of antibody production by single cells is described.

Rats were immunized with a variety of bacteria, and lymph node cells removed during the secondary response were studied for their capacity to induce motile bacteria to adhere to their surface. About 100,000 lymph node cells from immunized and nonimmunized animals have been studied, in drops containing either one cell or many thousands. It was found that adherence occurred only when the test bacteria shared an antigen with the immunogen. Ninety-eight per cent of the identifiable positive cells belonged to the plasma cell series. It was not possible to render plasma cells positive for adherence by incubating them in a high-titered immune serum either in vivo or in vitro.

Evidence is presented that the phenomenon depends on an antigen-antibody reaction between the bacteria and cell-associated antibody; that it is possible to differentiate two major types of adherence, viz., H-adherence and O-adherence; and that the positive cells actually are antibody-producers.

It is believed that this quick simple test may help in the screening of large cell populations for antibody-producing cells.

Footnotes

This work was supported by Grant E-2700 from the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Public Health Service, Bethesda, Maryland.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				E. E. Sercarz and F. Modabber Antigen Binding to Cells: Determination by Enzymic Fluorogenic Group Hydrolysis Science, February 23, 1968; 159(3817): 884 - 885. [Abstract] [PDF]