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Biomedical subjects

J Watson

Publications and source records attributed to J Watson.

At least 415 records · Page 23Linked to original sources

The use of bacterial lipopolysaccharides to show that two signals are required for the induction of antibody synthesis.

Evidence is presented that antigen-sensitive cells require two signals for induction. Normally these two signals are delivered to the cell via the recognition of two determinants on the immunogen: the first the receptor on the antigen-sensitive cell, and the second by the cooperating cell system. The special experimental situation described here depends upon the observation that bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) render immunogenic a variety of haptens. When monovalent haptens (TNP-amino acids) are added to spleen cultures, specific antihapten responses are induced in the presence of LPS. After analyzing competing interpretations of this phenomenon, we propose that the antigenic signal is delivered as the consequence of a conformational change in the receptor upon interacting with antigen, and the second signal is delivered directly via the interaction of LPS with the membrane on the antigen-sensitive cell receiving the antigenic signal, or indirectly via the interaction of LPS with the cooperating cell population. These data imply LPS is not itself a mitogen, but merely completes an inductive stimulus to B cells. The experimental results from these and other studies indicate how these two signals may participate in inductive, suppressive, and paralytic stimuli to antigen-sensitive cells.

Animals↗

A factor that can be used to regulate an in vitro primary immune response.

A factor has been isolated that supports the stimulation of an immune response against heterologous erythrocyte antigens in mouse spleen cells cultured in a medium that contains deficient serum. The factor is secreted by certain spleen cells that are obtained in permanent culture after leukemia virus infection. The factor permits antigen-sensitive cells derived from bone marrow to mature to antibody-forming cells. This factor can be used in controlling the initiation of a primary immune response in vitro.

Animals↗