Quantitative Studies on the Precipitin Reaction: The Role of Multiple Reactive Groups in Antigen-Antibody Union as Illustrated by an Instance of Cross-Precipitation
Contributor(s):
Heidelberger, Michael
Kendall, Forrest E.
Journal of Experimental Medicine
Publication:
Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, April 1934
In this article, Heidelberger and Kendall gave further evidence that antigens and antibodies were multivalent, meaning that there was more than one reactive group in each that allowed antigens and antibodies to form two (in the case of antibodies, as was later shown) or more (in the case of antigens) chemical bonds. This finding was crucial in understanding antigen-antibody reactions, and ran counter to the assertion by many scientists of the time, including the famous physical chemist Linus Pauling, that antibodies were univalent.
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