148 



IMMUNO-CATALYSIS 



Landsteiner and van der Scheer (1928) obtained two different anti- 

 sera which distinguished between the two isomeric antigens, demon- 

 strating that a change in the spatial arrangement of atoms or radicals 

 linked to one asymmetric carbon atom had resulted in the alteration 

 of serological specificity of antigens. They also demonstrated that d- 

 and 1-para-aminotartranilic acids coupled with proteins stimulated 

 the formation of antibodies which reacted distinctively with stereoiso- 

 meric antigens. There was practically no cross-reaction. The 1- and d- 

 immune sera gave rather weak group reactions with the meso-antigen. 

 The m-immune serum gave practically no group reactions against 1- 

 and d-antigens. 



Tartaric acid anti-sera also reacted with d- and 1-maleic acid anti- 

 gens, the d-serum chiefly with d-, the 1-serum with 1-compound, in 

 agreement with the configurational correspondence demonstrated in 

 the optical activity (rotation of polarized light in the same direction). 

 On the basis of these and numerous other similar findings Landsteiner 

 frequently referred to the analogy, as stated above, between immune 

 and enzyme reactions. 



Avery, Goebel, and associates published a series of papers 

 dealing with the influence of spatial configuration of synthetic sugar- 

 protein antigens on the specificity of serological reactions. Avery and 

 Goebel (1929) prepared the azoprotein of p-aminophenol-^-glucoside 

 and p-aminophenol-)8-galactoside : 



CHoOH 



^ o. 



^ 



OC6H4N = N— Protein 



H 



OH 



OH 



H 



H 



CH2OH 



OH 



OH 



H 



/I- 



' H 



-O. 



H 



p-Aminophenol-/3-glucoside Antigen 



OC6H4N = N— Protein 



OH 



H 



H 



OH 



H 



p-Aminophenol-/3-galactoside Antigen 



