The Frequency of Antigen-sensitive Cells in Tissue Transplantation

Graft-vs.-host (GVH) reactions were performed in chicken embryos by intravenous injection of adult chicken blood dilutions, and the result was scored by weighing the spleens as well as by karyological identification of host and donor metaphases. From the frequency of detectable signs of GVH reaction when low doses of donor cells were injected into hosts containing one foreign allele of the B locus it is concluded that 1-2% must be a minimum estimate for the frequency of antigen-sensitive cells of a given specificity in this system. It is not found possible to reconcile the findings with the strictest form of clonal selection which postulates a single receptor specificity per clone of antigen-sensitive cells.