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Instructive selection and immunological theory.

Joshua Lederberg1

  • 1Sackler Foundation at the Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10021, USA. lederberg@mail.rockefeller.edu

Immunological Reviews
|August 23, 2002
PubMed
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The clonal selection theory revolutionized immunology. While instructive models explain some biological and abiotic processes, selective models better describe molecular interactions, challenging simple classifications.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • The clonal selection theory (1957) marked a paradigm shift in immunological understanding.
  • Biological information acquisition models are often classified as 'instructive' or 'selective'.
  • The neo-Darwinian synthesis established evolution via random variation and natural selection.

Observation:

  • Controversy persisted regarding cellular adaptation mechanisms, such as drug resistance and antibody response.
  • Instructive theories, while declining, explain phenomena like molecular imprinting and template-driven assembly (e.g., DNA synthesis).
  • Microscopic analysis reveals that processes like enzyme-substrate binding and polymer elongation involve selection of activated components.

Findings:

  • The distinction between instructive and selective models can blur upon detailed examination.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Molecular interactions may exhibit characteristics of both instructive and selective processes.
  • A unified classification of biological information acquisition remains challenging.

    • Implications:

    • Re-evaluating established models of biological information acquisition is necessary.
    • Understanding molecular interactions requires considering both holistic and atomic perspectives.
    • This nuanced view impacts theories of evolution, immunology, and molecular recognition.