Immunochemistry of serum albumin. VI. A dynamic approach to the immunochemical cross reactions of proteins using serum albumins from various species as models.

Antisera against bovine serum albumin were raised in two rabbits. Serial bleedings were obtained at different times after the first immunization, and antisera from these serial bleedings were not mixed but were kept and studied separately. The immunochemical cross-reactions of these antisera with serum albumins from bovine, goat, sheep, porcine, horse, human and chicken were determined by immunoadsorbent studies. These were done by titration so that the values of maximum (plateau) binding by each albumin of radioiodinated antibodies were determined. In each rabbit, the immunochemical cross-reactivity was not static but increased progressievly with time after the first immunization. In the interval 7 days to 398 days the increases in cross-reaction were extremely large. pH dissociation studies revealed that, together with the increase in cross-reactivity of a given albumin with time after immunization, there was a restriction in the antibody heterogeneity towards populations possessing higher affinity. These results provide a rational explanation for the different values of cross-reactivities for a given albumin from different laboratories. The findings are analyzed in relation to the antigenic structure of albumin and their significance in evolutionary studies discussed.