Induction in vitro of Antibodies to Phage T2: Antigens in the RNA Extract Employed

Abstract

Cells from rat peritoneal exudate incubated in vitro with phage T2 yield RNA which induces cultures of rat lymph nodes to form antibodies. Complement fixation reveals T2 head, tail, and internal protein antigens in the RNA. Inoculating the RNA into mice that had previously been stimulated primarily with whole phage T2 results in a secondary response of neutralizing antibody.