Side chain theory

Japanese: 側鎖説 - そくさせつ（英語表記）side chain theory

A theory of immunity proposed by P. Ehrlich around 1900. He hypothesized the presence of side chains on the cell surface that could react with specific antigens, and that when a foreign antigen (he had in mind bacterial toxins such as diphtheria that he was dealing with at the time) reacts with the side chain, the cell is destroyed and excess side chains are released into the blood. These side chains are, in other words, antibodies, and his theory can be considered the prototype of the later clonal selection theory proposed by F. Burnet. Immunity [Fujiwara Michio]

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

P.エールリヒによって1900年ころ提唱された免疫理論。彼は細胞表面に特定の抗原と反応できる側鎖の存在を仮定し，外来の抗原(彼はその当時扱っていたジフテリアなどの細菌毒素を念頭においていた)が側鎖と反応すると細胞は破壊され，過剰の側鎖が血中に放出されると考えた。この側鎖がとりも直さず抗体であり，彼の理論は後のバーネットF.M.Burnetのクローン選択説の原型とも考えられる。免疫【藤原道夫】

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