Evaluation of Light Chain Antigen Binding by Radioimmunoelectrophoresis

[摘要] The ability of radioimmunoelectrophoresis to demonstrate specific antigen binding directly by isolated antibody light chains was evaluated using BSA as the antigen. Radioactive arcs and specific I*BSA binding were readily demonstrated by light chain preparations which did not contain detectable amounts of heavy chains when tested by gel diffusion.The arcs observed, however, could not be interpreted as evidence for I*BSA binding by isolated light chains because: 1) as little as 0.19 µg/ml of isolated antibody heavy chains were sufficient to detect I*BSA binding using radioimmunoelectrophoresis whereas 544 µg/ml of the isolated light chains were required; 2) when hybrid molecules made by mixing normal light chains with small amounts of antibody heavy chains were tested, a radioactive are developed that was qualitatively similar to the arc produced by the antibody light chain preparations; and 3) the amount of antibody heavy chains required to produce radioactive arcs when mixed with light chains was less than the amount of antibody heavy chain that could have been detected in the antibody light chain preparation.

[学科分类] 生物科学（综合）