Immunoglobulin Structure: Amino- and Carboxyl-Terminal Peptides of Type I Bence Jones Proteins

Abstract

Analysis of the amino acid sequence in Bence Jones proteins permits study of the structure of L-chains of normal immunoglobulins. An amino-terminal octadecapeptide containing the sole methionine residue occurs in many but not all immunoglobulins of antigenic type I. The carboxyl-terminal octapeptide appears invariant in type I proteins and ends in cysteine, which may have a cross-linking function.