The Precipitin Reaction between Type III Pneumococcus Polysaccharide and Homologous Antibody: III. A Quantitative Study and a Theory of the Reaction Mechanism

Title:
The Precipitin Reaction between Type III Pneumococcus Polysaccharide and Homologous Antibody: III. A Quantitative Study and a Theory of the Reaction Mechanism
Creator:
Heidelberger, Michael
Kendall, Forrest E.
Date:
April 1935
Description:
In this important article, Heidelberger and Kendall presented their quantitative theory of the precipitin reaction, from which they drew the conclusion that both antigens and antibodies were multivalent, meaning that they could form more than one bond with one another. (Scientists subsequently established that antibodies have two binding sites, while antigens can have several dozen.) This was important, as many immunologists of the time argued that antibodies were univalent, that they could bind in only one place to an antigen. Heidelberger and Kendall's findings suggested that antibodies can combine with antigens at widely differing ratios, an essential fact in evaluating the effectiveness of antisera in fighting disease.
Periodical:
Journal of Experimental Medicine
Publisher:
Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research
Rights:
Reproduced from the Journal of Experimental Medicine, 1935, 4, 563-591 by copyright permission of the Rockefeller University Press.
Genre:
Articles
Subject:
Antibodies, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Pneumococcal Infections, Polysaccharides, and Precipitins
Format:
Text
Extent:
29 pages
Language:
English
Legacy Source Citation:
Periodical. Heidelberger, Michael, and Forrest E. Kendall. "The Precipitin Reaction between Type III Pneumococcus Polysaccharide and Homologous Antibody: III. A Quantitative Study and a Theory of the Reaction Mechanism." Journal of Experimental Medicine 61, 4 (April 1935): 563-591. Article. 29 Images.. Journal of Experimental Medicine
Legacy ID:
DHBBBW
NLM ID:
101584940X18
Profiles Collection:
The Michael Heidelberger Papers
Shareable Link:
https://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/101584940X18
Story Section:
Antigens and Antibodies: Heidelberger and The Rise of Quantitative Immunochemistry, 1928-1954