Appearance of Antigens during Development of the Lens

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Abstract
The double diffusion technique of Ouchterlony, based on the differential diffusion of a mixture of antigens in an agar gel, was used to study the formation of lens antigens during development of the chick embryo and to correlate chemical and morphological differentiation. Aqueous extracts prepared from lenses of 50-, 60-, 72-, and 96-hour, and 10-day embryos, and from new-born and young adult chickens, were tested with antiserum prepared with 10 per cent, adult chicken lens extract. The gradual appearance of 1–7 precipitin bands, indicating the corresponding formation of substantial amounts of up to 7-lens antigens, was noted during embryonic development. The number of bands formed was dependent upon the age of the embryos providing the lens extracts. The first appearing lens antigen causing a precipitin band was found in 50-hour lens extract (18-24 somites). The appearance of new precipitin bands in the course of development, indicating the formation of new lens antigens, preceded or coincided with the appearance of morphological structures indicating synthesis of new protein. Precipitin bands formed during the first stages of development (bands 2, 3, and 4 in Plate 1, fig. 2a and Plate 2, fig. 3a) were caused by antigens identical to those present in the later stages (Plate 2, figs. 5a, 6a, 1a). The molecular weight of the first formed antigens appeared to be higher than that of the antigens formed later in development.

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