Antibody formation in vitro

Neutralizing activity against T2 bacteriophage appeared in cultures of lymph node cells from normal rats in response to their in vitro stimulation with a cell-free filtrate derived from homogenized rat macrophages which had been incubated with T2 bacteriophage. This activity was specifically directed against T2 bacteriophage. It resided in a fraction of the culture fluid which had the salting-out properties of serum globulin. Phage neutralization was inhibited by antibody specific for rat serum gamma globulin. Antibody production against T2 bacteriophage in cultures of lymph node cells from normal animals failed to occur if (a) T2 bacteriophage alone was added, (b) if the incubation period of macrophages and T2 phage was unduly shortened, (c) if the cell-free filtrate was heated at 80-100 degrees C for 15 minutes, (d) if more than an optimal amount of T2 bacteriophage was added to the macrophages. Additional factors which prevented the formation of antibody were the heat inactivation of the lymph node cells or the addition to the culture medium of either streptomycin or ribonuclease. Finally, it was found that macrophages and lymph node cells had to be obtained from animals of one and the same species. All essential findings on the production of antibody to T2 bacteriophage in vitro could be confirmed by substitution of the chick embryo for the tissue culture medium. The results are discussed in terms of a possible mechanism of antibody production in which an RNAse-sensitive substance resulting from the interaction of macrophages and antigen is capable of stimulating antibody synthesis in lymphocytic cells.