The synthesis of bacteriophage ΦX174-neutralizing protein in a subcellular system obtained from the spleen of ΦX174 immunized rats

Abstract

The microsomal fraction of rat spleen was isolated at varying lengths of time after the application of a “booster”-injection of bacteriophage ΦX174 to the animal. Together with the “pH 5-enzyme” fraction, which is obtained routinely from the 100 000 × g spleen-supernatant of non-immunized rats, it formed the subcellular system which was tested for its ability to synthesize ΦX174-neutralizing protein. In a large number of experiments an increase was found in the concentration of ΦX174-neutralizing protein upon incubation of the subcellular systems under suitable conditions. The results obtained strongly suggest that this increase is due, at least partly, to true synthesis of this protein, as it could be shown to be ATP-dependent, ribonuclease-, and puromycin-, sensitive and also dependent on the time of incubation of the subcellular system.