Induction of IgM memory with RNA from the spleens of immunized mice.

Ribonucleic acid (immune RNA, iRNA), extracted from the spleens of mice immunized with sheep red blood cells (SRBC), induced specific immunological memory. The humoral immune responses of iRNA-treated animals were compared with in vivo and in vitro primary and secondary responses, using the haemolytic plaque-forming cell (PFC) assay. IgM antibody formation was markedly higher in iRNA-treated than in any other mice. The effect of iRNA was antigen-specific and similar materials from non-immunized mice had no activity.