Tissue culture analysis of immunological capacity of snapping turtles

Spleens obtained from the common snapping turtle, Chelydra serpentina (Linné), have been analyzed for immunological competence in several in vitro systems. Spleen fragments can be maintained in tissue culture for several weeks under conditions permitting antibody formation. Such fragments can produce specific agglutinins to sheep or mouse red blood cells when presented with these antigens in vitro. Cells obtained from adult turtle spleens can elicit splenomegaly or hepatomegaly in vitro in a manner suggestive of a graft‐versus‐host reaction. Using these in vitro procedures, it has been observed that maturation of the immunological system of the turtle occurs several months after hatching, and that hibernating turtles are defective in immunological capacity. Histological studies indicate that the snapping turtle has cloaca‐associated lymphoid tissues similar to the bursa of Fabricius.