410 



BACTERIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY 



whilst it gave weak reactions with the meso-antigen, 



Protein — N=N< 



)NH.CO.C C- 



I I 

 OH OH 



COOH 



Similarly, the /-antiserum reacted strongly with the 

 /-antigen, hardly at all with the (/-antigen and weakly 

 with the me^o- antigen. The me^o-antiserum reacted with 

 the homologous antigen strongly and gave weak cross - 

 reactions with the d- and /-antigens. The amino- 

 tartranilic acids used as haptens gave the corresponding 

 specific inhibition reactions. If, however, d- and /-malic 

 acids, 



H 



OH 



I 



C, ' 



and COOH.CH2.C.COOH, 



I 

 OH 



having only one optically active carbon atom instead of 

 the two of the tartranilic acids, were used as haptens the 

 inhibition reactions were much weaker, but took place 

 with the antiserum to the corresponding isomer of tartra- 

 nilic acid. Succinic acid, COOH.CH2.CH2.COOH, having 

 no optically active carbon atom had no effect as a hapten. 

 The effects of spatial distribution are also well illus- 

 trated in the case of the synthetic carbohydrate antigens 

 studied by Avery and Goebel. They synthesised 

 23 -amino -phenol- j8-glucoside. 



CH2OH 



