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L-Tyrosine-p-azobenzenearsonate (RAT) induces cellular immunity without humoral antibody in guinea pigs. Asymmetric bifunctional antigens composed of one RAT moiety and one dinitrophenyl (DNP) group separated by flexible spacers induce anti-RAT cellular immunity and an anti-DNP humoral response. Symmetrical bifunctional antigens of similar design but comprised of two RAT determinants induce cellular immunity without demonstrable anti-RAT antibody. However, when the flexible spacer is replaced by a rigid decaproline chain, humoral anti-RAT responses are provoked. Since RAT contains both electropositive (azo) and electronegative (arsonate) centers, the failure of bifunctional RAT compounds with flexible spacers to induce humoral immunity might be ascribed either to intramolecular stacking, which compromises their bifunctional character, or to interaction of both determinants with receptors on the same cell surface, which would fail to satisfy the requirement for cooperation. In order to distinguish between these alternatives, symmetrical bifunctional antigens composed of two L-tyrosine-p-azophenyltrimethylammonium (TAT) determinants separated by flexible or rigid spacers were synthesized. TAT is immunogenic and does not cross-react with RAT. Furthermore, it contains only electropositive centers and consequently bifunctional molecules do not undergo intramolecular stacking. Immunization with either flexibly or rigidly spaced bifunctional TAT antigens raised anti-TAT antibody. These results conclusively demonstrate that "self-help," cooperation between bone marrow-derived and thymus-derived lymphocytes of identical or similar specificity, can occur, provided the determinants on the antigen are prevented from associating with each other.

The low molecular weight compound L-tyrosine-azobenzenearsonate (RAT) induces a cellular immune response in guinea pigs. The contribution of the side chain of tyrosine to the immunogenicity of RAT and the structural requirements at that position for immunogenicity were assessed by synthesizing a series of analogs of RAT containing modifications in the side chain of tyrosine and employing them as immunogens. Removal of either the carboxyl or amino group did not markedly affect immunogenicity, measured by the induction of delayed cutaneous sensitivity, whereas deletion of both completely abolished it. However, a charged group was not required since side chains containing a polar hydroxyl group could substitute for chains bearing an amino or carboxyl group. The size of the side chain exerted a pronounced influence; the charged or polar substituent had to be extended from the phenolic ring by at least two carbon atoms in order to confer immunogenicity.

Bovine glucagon, a polypeptide of 29 amino acids, was immunogenic in guinea pigs. The immunologic determinants of glucagon were investigated using isolated tryptic peptides of the hormone. Antibodies from virtually all of more than two dozen animals had specificity primarily for the amino-terminal heptadecapeptide (NM) and showed little or no binding with the carboxy-terminal undeca- and dodecapeptides (C). The smallest synthetic peptide of a series initiated at residue 16 which measurably bound antibody comprised residues 5–16 of glucagon. In cellular immune assays, both NM and C elicited delayed cutaneous reactions and inhibited the migration of peritoneal cells from immune animals. However, only intact glucagon and its C fragment stimulated lymphoid cells to synthesize DNA. While glucagon was somewhat more active than C, the addition of NM to C did not enhance its transforming activity. The smallest synthetic carboxy-terminal peptide with discernible transforming activity comprised residues 19–29 of glucagon. In both native and synthetic C peptide preparations, the undecapeptide was generally more active than the dodecapeptide, although cells from different animals gave different response patterns. The difference between the two is the presence of arginine at the amino-terminus of the peptide chain. Thus, the recognition specificity of populations of antigen-reactive cells from different animals displays a variation which is at least superficially analogous to that of populations of antibody molecules. In limited experiments using NM and C peptides as immunogens, neither gave rise to delayed hypersensitivity or to glucagon-binding circulating antibody, following a regimen which invariably provoked these responses when glucagon itself served as the immunogen. These results indicate that glucagon was cleaved by trypsin along functional lines into two parts, one of which housed the major antigenic determinant and the other of which carried the major immunogenic determinant, and they are highly compatible with a two-cell mechanism of immune induction. An apparent dissociation between the capacity to provoke delayed hypersensitivity reactions and to transform antigen-reactive cells in culture was observed.