Increased Production of Specific Antibodies by Presentation of the Antigen Determinants with Covalently Coupled Lipopetide Mitogens

A new concept for the production of antibodies consists in preparing a conjugate from the “lipid membrane anchor” N‐palmitoyl‐S[2,3‐bis(palmitoyl‐oxy) propyl]cysteiny1 serine and the antigen—for example, a tetradecapeptide. These conjugates are potent immunogens, which, within a few days, induce the production of high titers of antigen‐specific antibodies (IgG and IgM), both in vivo and in vitro, with only one application and without either carrier proteins or Freund's adjuvant. It has already been possible to produce monoclonal antibodies with these new low‐molecular‐weight, chemically defined conjugates, which are obtainable via Merrifield synthesis.