title: Gene activation during immune reaction.
abstract: In cell-free systems the addition of antigen stimulates the synthesis of informational RNA (i-RNA) which exhibits the following properties: It codes for the entire antibody molecule, it codes for the synthesis of regulator protein which initiates transcription of i-RNA with the correspondent informational content from DNA, it is a template for an an i-RNA dependent RNA polymerase, it is a template for an i-RNA dependent reverse transcriptase. The i-RNA may exist in a state of latency in cells. The product of reverse transcription of i-RNA is i-DNA which can be used to transcribe further i-RNA of the same specificity. Similar to i-DNA is an extracellular DNA which codes also for antibody and from which i-RNA can be transcribed. The data presented are summarized in a scheme of the flow of information during immunological reactions. It could be shown that there exist three different types of extrachromosomally synthesized molecules--i-RNA, i-DNA and extracellular DNA--which bear immunological specific information. These extrachromosomal states of information may be relevant for the generation of antibody diversity.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000941:Antigens; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D005796:Genes; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012313:RNA / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014780:Viruses / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA