Microcalorimetry as an immunological tool: preliminary studies with beef heart mitochondrial adenosine triphosphatase...

The calorimetric technique was applied to a complex immunological system based upon purified beef heart mitochondrial adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase). Whole serum containing antibodies to the ATPase was obtained from a rabbit and used to study the antigen-antiserum interaction in comparison with control serum pooled from 50 non-immune rabbits. The results suggest that the immunological interaction may be accompanied by complex processes which were not detectable by other immunological methods. It was shown that kinetic analysis of the calorimetric data may resolve an apparently complex process of interaction into different component stages of reaction. The advantages of this type of application of calorimetry are discussed.