title: Studies on antibody affinity at the cellular level. Correlation between binding properties of secreted antibody and cellular receptor for antigen on immunological memory cells.
abstract: Heterogeneity with regard to affinity of anti-hapten antibody was demonstrated at the cellular level in mice. The heterogeneity was shown at the level of single antibody-forming cells using hapten inhibition of hemolytic antibody plaque formation as a measure of affinity. The affinity increased with time after immunization. A high antigen dose initially resulted in relatively low affinity antibody production as compared to the affinity of the antibody production in animals immunized with a low dose. Affinity specialization of immunological memory cells was demonstrated, since it was possible to specifically fractionate such cells with regard to affinity on hapten-protein-coated plastic bead columns. High affinity memory cells showed a higher tendency to become retained in the columns than did low affinity memory cells. The data in a direct way demonstrate that memory cells carrying membrane-associated receptors of a certain affinity for the antigen are determined to release antibody of a similar affinity after stimulation with antigen.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D000941:Antigens; D001665:Binding Sites; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006241:Haptens; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000166:cytology; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D000941:Antigens; D006241:Haptens