Enhancement of Reaginic Antibody Formation in the Mouse by Concanavalin A

Abstract

SWR mice injected with Concanavalin A (Con A) and Ovalbumin (Ov) one immediately after the other or with mixtures of Con A and Ov produced reaginic antibodies to Ov (titer 1:80) after primary immunization and reaginic antibody levels of 1:640 after secondary immunization. Mixtures of Con A and Ov were shown to contain soluble complexes which could be precipitated by 20% polyethylene glycol (PEG). Mixtures of Con A and human serum albumin or Con A. and bovine serum albumin did not form soluble complexes and did not induce detectable reagin formation. The possible role of soluble Con A-Ov complexes in stimulating reaginic antibody is discussed.

Allergenicity of Concanavalin A in Mice

“…The effectiveness of Con A as an allergen did lead us to test, and to discard, the no tion that allergens were mitogens (see 'In troduction'). Con A may simply be useful in inducing IgE responses to complexed [11] or conjugated antigens or haptens. The po tency of Con A as an allergen certainly indi cates that laboratory personnel working reg ularly with Con A are made aware of the possibility of becoming sensitized.…”

“…One of these, the potent mitogen concana valin A (Con A), was found to be particu larly effective at inducing anti-Con A re agins in some mouse strains. In addition, Gollapudi and Kind [11,12] have shown that Con A complexed to ovalbumin in creases the allergenicity of ovalbumin. These observations prompted us to examine whether purified allergenic preparations from the nematode, Ascaris suum, and rye grass pollens were mitogenic.…”

Enhanced Reaginic Antibody Formation to Ovalbumin in Mice Given Repeated Injections of Concanavalin A

“…In previous publications we have demon strated that mixtures of concanavalin A (Con A) and ovalbumin (Ov) are powerful inducers of reaginic antibodies to Ov in many strains of mice [1,2]. The exact mechanism of the adjuvant-like effect of Con A was not determined although it was considered that the ability of Con A to acti vate T lymphocytes and to form soluble complexes with Ov were important factors in its action [1,2].…”

“…The exact mechanism of the adjuvant-like effect of Con A was not determined although it was considered that the ability of Con A to acti vate T lymphocytes and to form soluble complexes with Ov were important factors in its action [1,2].…”

“…The apparent priming of mice to Ov by repeated injections of Con A can be adoptively transferred to 1 Supported by the Medical Research Council of Canada.…”