Studies on the reduction of a human 19S immunoglobulin M

Biochem J. 1969 Apr;112(2):187-94. doi: 10.1042/bj1120187.

Abstract

1. Reduction of a 19s immunoglobulin M with 3mm-mercaptoethanol or 0.05-0.5mm-dithiothreitol followed by alkylation gave sedimentation patterns indicating products compatible with structures consisting of one, two, three, four and five 7s sub-units. This supports the concept of a five-sub-unit structure for immunoglobulin M. 2. Reduction with 0.125mm-dithiothreitol or 20mm-cysteine produced 7s sub-units that could not be dissociated into chains in m-propionic acid. 3. By labelling (with iodo[2-(14)C]acetic acid) the thiol groups liberated during reduction with 0.125mm-dithiothreitol, it was possible to identify the tryptic peptides involved in the disulphide bridges that link the 7s sub-units together (inter-sub-unit bridges). 4. By further reducing and labelling (with iodo[2-(14)C]acetic acid) the 7s sub-units produced by 0.125mm-dithiothreitol, it was possible to identify tryptic peptides derived from intra-sub-unit bridges. 5. Sub-units produced by reduction with 20mm-cysteine proved to be unsuitable for distinguishing between inter-sub-unit bridges and intra-sub-unit bridges. 6. The possible arrangement of the interchain disulphide bridges was deduced.

MeSH terms

  • Alkylation
  • Animals
  • Antigens
  • Bence Jones Protein
  • Carbohydrates
  • Carbon Isotopes
  • Chemical Phenomena
  • Chemistry
  • Chromatography, Gel
  • Cysteine
  • Dextrans
  • Electrophoresis
  • Humans
  • Immune Sera
  • Immunoelectrophoresis
  • Immunoglobulin M*
  • Iodoacetates
  • Mercaptoethanol
  • Models, Structural
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Peptides
  • Sheep
  • Sulfhydryl Compounds
  • Sulfides
  • Ultracentrifugation
  • Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia / blood

Substances

  • Antigens
  • Carbohydrates
  • Carbon Isotopes
  • Dextrans
  • Immune Sera
  • Immunoglobulin M
  • Iodoacetates
  • Peptides
  • Sulfhydryl Compounds
  • Sulfides
  • Mercaptoethanol
  • Bence Jones Protein
  • Cysteine