Immunisation with Antigen coupled to an Immunosorbent

Abstract

IN attempts to produce antisera to surface components of cells one is often frustrated by the fact that many components are poorly immunogenic in situ, presumably due to antigenic competition from myriad adjacent structures. The alternative approach of preparing a component in pure form in an amount sufficient for immunisation schedules can be formidable. Advantage may be taken, however, of an intermediate stage in some schedules for purifying such components: specific adsorption onto a solid phase. For example, the receptors for con A and phytohaemagglutinin have been isolated in this way from detergent lysates of lymphocytic plasma membranes^1,2; and the Fab fragments of surface immunoglobulins can be isolated on an immunosorbent from a proteolytic digest of the lymphocytic surface³. The availability of immunosorbents of high quality⁴ has extended the scope of such methods.