Antigen-antibody Reactions between Layers Adsorbed on Built up Stearate Films

By adsorbing antigens and antibodies on barium stearate multilayers immunological reactions at surfaces have been studied. Pneumococcus polysaccharide specific antibody systems using purified antibodies from both horse and rabbit sera were investigated. The polysaccharides failed to show visible adsorption, but by alternate treatment with antibody and polysaccharide several layers of antibody could be specifically deposited. With the diphtheria toxin-antitoxin system antitoxin was found to adsorb to layers of toxin but not conversely. The reaction, however, was not specific. Molecular weights calculated from the thickness of adsorbed protein layers, using dissymmetry factors, roughly correspond to molecular weights calculated from sedimentation and diffusion constants.