Antibody-formation theories selective theory

Jeme, N.K. (1955). The natural-selection theory of antibody formation. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 41, 849-857. 

At a lecture delivered in Philadelphia s Franklin Institute on March 17, 1949, Pauling reported some of the results from Dickey s experiments [23]. Silica gels had been prepared by procedures analogous to the formation of antibodies , i.e. in accordance with the selective theory, and the study was published later the same year [24]. The method described involved polymerisation of sodium silicate in the presence of a dye. Four different dyes were used, namely methyl, ethyl, /i-propyl and -butyl orange (Fig. 1.3). As much as possible of the dye was subsequently removed, and in rebinding experiments it was found that silica prepared in the presence of any of these pattern moleeules would bind the pattern molecule in preference to the other three dyes. Table 1.2 shows the selective increase in pattern dye sorption capacities of the gels as related to a control gel, prepared in the absence of dye. 

Figure 4.10 Pauling theory of formation of an antibody to an antigen (now known to be incorrect, replaced by the clonal selective theory), (a) The polypeptide chain that will eventually form the antibody encounters the antigen, (b) The peptide chain starts to fold in a manner guided by the three-dimensional characteristics of the antigen, (c) The fully folded antibody is completed. Reproduced with permission from Dr. Olof Ramstrom (1997), The Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm.

The clonal selection theory of Burnet (2) is now generally accepted. Small lymphocytes are known to have immunoglobulin receptors which are similar or identical to the antibodies that will later be synthesized by descendants of a cell. The receptors are believed to be produced initially without input of information from the antigen. The role of antigen is to combine with the receptors, thereby stimulating the differentiation and repeated cell division that results in the formation of a clone of cells, all producing the same antibody molecule. (The possibility of a switch within a cell, with respect to class of immunoglobulin produced, will be considered later.)... 

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