Synthesis of Gamma-globulin in the New-born Rabbit

Abstract

EVIDENCE to be presented here indicates that the normal new-born rabbit is capable of synthesizing γ-globulin. The fact that synthesis of γ-globulin is possible by the time of birth was first suggested by Deichmiller and Dixon¹. These workers demonstrated incorporation of sulphur-35 amino-acids into γ-globulins of 2-day-old animals at about l/36th the rate of adult rabbits when calculated per unit body-weight. Isolation of the γ-globulins was accomplished by starch-block electrophoresis. However, during this period of life, the rates of incorporation of amino-acids into β- and α-globulins were found to approximate those of adult animals. Thus, it seemed possible that slight contamination by the other plasma components of high specific activity could have accounted for these results. Therefore, the problem has been re-examined in our laboratory.