XLIII. THE BINDING OF ILEMOLYTIC AMBOCEPTORS. 1 



By Dr. J. MORGENROTH, Member of the Institute. 



IT has been established that the haemolytic amboceptors are 

 bound by the blood-cell receptors for which they have a specific 

 affinity. In earlier papers 2 it was experimentally shown that the 

 amount of amboceptor which can be bound by the blood-cells 

 varies to an extraordinary degree. We call an "amboceptor 

 unit," 3 the amount of amboceptor which suffices to dissolve a 

 certain quantity of red blood-cells (1 cc. 5% suspension) when 

 plentiful amount of complement is present. Experience has shown 

 that the combining capacity of the blood-cells varies from one to 

 one hundred amboceptor units. On centrifuging the blood-cells 

 after these have bound the amboceptor, and resuspending them in 

 salt solution, it will be found that the amboceptor remains bound 

 unchanged, and is not given off to the fluid in demonstrable quan- 

 tities at room temperature. It was natural to investigate the 

 firmness of this amboceptor union in suitable cases, namely, cases 

 in which a multiple of the amboceptor unit had been anchored. 



By repeated centrifuging and resuspension in salt solution, it 

 is possible to obtain blood-cells laden with amboceptor in a medium 

 entirely free from recognizable traces of amboceptor. A curious 

 phenomenon is observed when fresh blood-cells of the same species 

 are added to such a suspension. After a time some of the ambo- 

 ceptors originally bound to the blood-cells pass over to the new 



1 Reprinted, from Miinchener med. Wochenschrift, No. 2, 1903. A more 

 recent discussion of this subject by the same author will be found in Biochem. 

 Zeitschrift, Vol. XX, 1909. 



2 Ehrlich and Morgenroth, Berliner klin. Wochenschr. No. 10, 1901. This 

 volume, page 71. See also Ehrlich, in Nothnagel's Spez. Pathologic u. Therapie, 

 Vol. VIII. 



3 Morgenroth and Sachs, Berliner klin. Wochenschrift, No. 35, 1902. This 

 volume, p. 254. 



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