Serological Aspects of Immunity in Invertebrates

Abstract

WHILE most of the scattered attempts to produce antibodies in invertebrates have failed¹, some of the reactions which have been produced in host animals are interesting in themselves. For example, it has been clearly demonstrated that caterpillars develop a temporary, but significant, resistance to bacteria following injections with several kinds of substances^2–4, and that in some cases they even produce heat-stable bactericidal substances⁵. Of great potential significance has been the work of Cantacuzène^6–8, who induced slow antibody-like responses in several marine crabs, in a marine worm, and possibly in an ascidian. His work was done during 1919–28, and therefore lacks some of the quantitative and control data which might fully establish the findings. The findings are of such significance, however, that there is great need to repeat his work and to re-investigate the problem in the same hosts.