THE PREPARATION AND PROPERTIES OF ANTISERA TO SUBCELLULAR FRACTIONS FROM LYMPHOCYTES

Rabbit sera raised by hyperimmunisation with mouse thymocyte subcellular fractions were strongly immunosuppressive when tested for their ability to prolong the life of mouse skin grafts. Antisera raised against spleen cell fractions were only mildly immunosuppressive, as were antisera prepared by less vigorous immunisation with thymocyte fractions. Different techniques for lysing the cells and fractionating the lysates were examined. A soluble fraction from mouse thymocytes gave rise to a moderately immunosuppressive antiserum. A subcellular fraction from human blood peripheral lymphocytes was used to immunise horses, and the antisera showed in vitro lymphocytotoxicity.