Abstract
Summary
Hemolytic and hemagglutinating activities of IgM and IgG antibody against the p-azobenzenearsonate (Rp) group were compared using purified antibody preparations. IgM antibody showed a considerably higher activity in both hemolytic and hemagglutinating systems. The hemolytic and hem-agglutinating activities of IgM antibody were both 180 to 60 times higher on a molar basis than those of IgG antibody when measured with erythrocytes to which Rp-groups were attached. The reduced-alkylated product of IgM antibody showed little activity in both hemolytic and hemagglutinating systems, although the reduced-alkylated product had been shown previously to retain hapten-binding activity. IgM antibody also lost precipitating activity with a polyvalent hapten-protein conjugate upon reduction and alkylation. Loss of hemagglutinating and precipitating activities is probably due to univalency of 6S subunits produced by reduction.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.