Abstract
Glucose oxidase, an anzyme obtained from Aspergillus niger, is a potent antigen. Guinea pigs and rabbits immunized with this antigen in complete Freund's adjuvant produced high serum concentrations of precipitating antibody. In addition, heat-inactivated enzyme and apoenzyme can be used to detect cellular immunity in the guinea pigs.
Glucose oxidase retains its enzymatic activity when bound to antibody, thus allowing direct visualization of the latter upon incubation with a suitable mixture of substrate and chromogenic reagent. Plasma cells producing antibody to the enzyme were visualized in smears and in tissue sections by sequentially reacting fixed preparations with glucose oxidase and chromogenic reagent. Anti-DNP antibody-producing cells elicited by immunization of guinea pigs with dinitrophenylated-ovalbumin were also visualized in a similar manner by employing dinitrophenylated glucose oxidase as a test antigen.
