392 IMMUNO-CATALYSIS 



In an attempt to explain his own data Braun (1946) considered our 

 view that specific antibodies formed as final reaction products in re- 

 sponse to antigenic stimuli fulfill the function of specific inhibitors of 

 enzymes. Applying this concept to his data he sees it necessary that the 

 reaction : Br. abortus phosphatase+globulin factors->Anti-phosphatase, 

 take place. However, he considers it questionable whether this re- 

 action may exist. The reason given for this reservation is that phos- 

 phatase, according to him, being a common constituent of blood is 

 probably serologically inactive. There is no inconsistency in the ap- 

 plication of our concept to his data if we assume that the amount of 

 phosphatase which contributes to an increment of the serum phos- 

 phatase during an infection is derived from a bacterial source. This 

 amount being species specifically different from that which is normally 

 present in serum would be serologically active. The elimination of the 

 increased amount of phosphatase concurring with the rise in titer 

 of agglutinins could indicate that the agglutinating serum contains 

 specific antibodies to the bacterial phosphatase. Under these conditions 

 this bacterial phosphatase exogenous to the host system would be 

 eliminated. 



It must, however, be pointed out that the validity of one or the other 

 of the two explanations we oflFered to account for the data obtained by 

 Braun depends on the result of additional experiments. One could 

 perhaps obtain an adequate amount of phosphatase from Br. abortus 

 to prepare specific immune serum. This serum could be used to study 

 its effect on the increased phosphatase activity of animals infected with 

 the same organism which served as source of cell-free enzyme prepara- 

 tion. If the antiphosphatase serum were capable of eliminating the 

 increment in phosphatase activity of the serum of infected animals, we 

 could be certain of a direct relationship between a decrease of phos- 

 phatase activity and increment in agglutinin titers. Anti-serum 

 prepared against bacterial phosphatase could be administered to 

 animals showing increased phosphatase activity without containing 

 agglutinins. If the serum derived from the animals thus treated showed 

 a decrease of phosphatase activity, the same conclusion could likewise 

 be drawn. The antiphosphatase specific serum related to Br. abortus 

 would be incapable of producing a decrease in the phosphatase activity 

 of the infected animals if the origin of the increased phosphatase is 

 the damaged tissues or organs. For this phosphatase and that normally 



