Mise en évidence d'une relation quantitative entre la synthèse des anticorps et celle des γ-globulines non spécifiques impliquée par la théorie de Burnet sur l'origine de la spécificité des anticorps

1. The quantities of γ-globulins secreted in vitro by fragments of spleen, synthesized in vivo by lymph node cells during short periods, or secreted in the blood by the entire immune system of rabbits hyperimmunized against tobacco mosaic virus or the flagellae of Salmonella paratyphi have been studied by incorporation of [3H] phenylalanine. In each case the quantities of [3H] phenylalanine simultaneously incorporated into the antibodies and into the non specific γ-globulins have been found to be equal. 2. It is proposed that all antibody producing cells synthesize equal quantities of antibody and of non specific γ-globulin. Such a parallelism might been expected if the clonal selection theory of antibody production proposed by Burnet is correct. Other interpretations are discussed.