Immunologic studies on nucleic acids and their components. II. Reversible inhibition of anti-nucleoside antibodies in aqueous pyridine and its application in antibody purification.

The effect of aqueous pyridine on a hapten-antihapten system was investigated by the quantitative precipitin reaction and by the membrane filtration method. It was found that dilute solutions of pyridine inhibited the reaction between isopentenyladenosine and its antiserum. Other solvents examined were less effective. The effect of pyridine was reversible at concentrations where complete inhibition occurred, thus indicating its use for the dissociation of antigen-antibody complexes. The inhibitory effect of pyridine was exploited in a single-step purification method for anti-isopentenyladenosine and anti-deoxy-adenylate antibodies. In addition, generally applicable methods for linking nucleosides and nucleotides to aminoethyl-Sepharose are described.