Changes in the Amphibian Antibody Repertoire are Correlated With Metamorphosis and not With Age or Size

Tadpole and adult Xenopus, manipulated to be of comparable size, exhibited stagespecificantibody expression. The production of adult-type higher-affinity anti-DNPantibodies proved to be independent of the age and size of the individual and isconcomitant with the completion of metamorphosis. The appearance of new antibodyspecificities at such a time suggests that their expression occurs with the cell turnoverand renewal during a period of morphological changes.