466
JOHN E. CUSHING
response of higher vertebrate is a magnificient example of a highly
evolved adaptation, the phylogeny of which is still being worked out.
The purpose of this chapter is to acquaint persons interested in fishes
with the basic aspects of the biology and evolution of antibody synthesis
and associated phenomena and to show in some detail how the study of
fish relates to this area. Since the point of view is that of comparative
immunology, a brief history of this subject is considered first.
A. Historical
The history of the comparative study of the immunological responses
of vertebrates can be divided into an early period extending from the
initiation of immunological research to 1966, and a recent period extending from this date to the present. The dividing date, while obviously
quite arbitrary, is conveniently taken as the year of publication of
“Phylogeny of Immunity” (R. T. Smith et al., 1966). This book was the
first to be published on the subject and presents an assemblage of papers,
most of which are relevant to this chapter. The book in turn was inspired by papers on the phylogenetic development of immunological
responsiveness in vertebrates (cf. Good and Papermaster, 1964). These
papers were produced by Robert Good and his associates and, together
with a symposium on immunological phenomena in cold-blooded vertebrates (Sigel, 1963), served to trigger and solidify the intensification of
interest in comparative immunology among the very heterogeneous
population of immunologists. A general survey of the field of comparative immunology as it existed in 1957 (Cushing and Campbell, 1957)
presents a further basis for discovering earlier literature and evaluating
the advances made in the intervening years. Prior to 1966, Hildemann
and his associates securely established the area of comparative transplantation immunology by their work on the lower vertebrates (cf.
Hildemann, 1962; Hildemann and Cooper, 1963), and Fujino, Ridgway,
Sprague and others (cf. Symposium, 1961) each independently did extensive work in relating blood grouping concepts and techniques to
the identification of subpopulations of marine animals. The researches
of these and other workers were reviewed in 1964 (Cushing, 1964) and
are an outgrowth of the idea that blood group polymorphism could
provide useful, genetically controlled criteria for the analysis of the
isolating effects of nonheritable imprinted homing specificities in subpopulations of Pacific salmonids (and other migratory forms) ( Cushing,
1941, 1952).
In addition to studies on Vertebrates, the defense mechanism of in-
JOHN E. CUSHING
response of higher vertebrate is a magnificient example of a highly
evolved adaptation, the phylogeny of which is still being worked out.
The purpose of this chapter is to acquaint persons interested in fishes
with the basic aspects of the biology and evolution of antibody synthesis
and associated phenomena and to show in some detail how the study of
fish relates to this area. Since the point of view is that of comparative
immunology, a brief history of this subject is considered first.
A. Historical
The history of the comparative study of the immunological responses
of vertebrates can be divided into an early period extending from the
initiation of immunological research to 1966, and a recent period extending from this date to the present. The dividing date, while obviously
quite arbitrary, is conveniently taken as the year of publication of
“Phylogeny of Immunity” (R. T. Smith et al., 1966). This book was the
first to be published on the subject and presents an assemblage of papers,
most of which are relevant to this chapter. The book in turn was inspired by papers on the phylogenetic development of immunological
responsiveness in vertebrates (cf. Good and Papermaster, 1964). These
papers were produced by Robert Good and his associates and, together
with a symposium on immunological phenomena in cold-blooded vertebrates (Sigel, 1963), served to trigger and solidify the intensification of
interest in comparative immunology among the very heterogeneous
population of immunologists. A general survey of the field of comparative immunology as it existed in 1957 (Cushing and Campbell, 1957)
presents a further basis for discovering earlier literature and evaluating
the advances made in the intervening years. Prior to 1966, Hildemann
and his associates securely established the area of comparative transplantation immunology by their work on the lower vertebrates (cf.
Hildemann, 1962; Hildemann and Cooper, 1963), and Fujino, Ridgway,
Sprague and others (cf. Symposium, 1961) each independently did extensive work in relating blood grouping concepts and techniques to
the identification of subpopulations of marine animals. The researches
of these and other workers were reviewed in 1964 (Cushing, 1964) and
are an outgrowth of the idea that blood group polymorphism could
provide useful, genetically controlled criteria for the analysis of the
isolating effects of nonheritable imprinted homing specificities in subpopulations of Pacific salmonids (and other migratory forms) ( Cushing,
1941, 1952).
In addition to studies on Vertebrates, the defense mechanism of in-