SEROLOGICAL RELATIONSHIPS OF TYPE-SPECIFIC AND DEGRADED PNEUMOCOCCI

1. Immune sera prepared with the degraded or variant forms of pneumococci (R strains) are similar in their reactions to sera prepared with the protein or cell solutions of pneumococci. They contain antibodies reactive with the protein of all types of pneumococci, but no antibodies reactive with the type-specific substances. 2. Pneumococci of the variant or R form, regardless of type derivation, are serologically identical and have the antigenic characteristics of pneumococcus protein. They evoke the species-specific and not the type-specific antibodies. 3. Antipneumococcus sera obtained by immunization with S strains may contain species-specific antibodies in addition to those which are type-specific. Each kind of antibody can be removed separately from these sera by selective absorption with the R or S strains of pneumococci.