ENZYMATICALLY PRODUCED SUBUNITS OF PROTEINS FORMED BY PLASMA CELLS IN MICE

Abstract

Gamma globulin and antibody obtained from inbred C₃H mice are split by papain and cysteine into fragments roughly one-third the size of the original Molecule (S_20,w = 3.5S). The papain digests were characterized by starch gel electrophoresis and immunological methods. The highly heterogeneous fragments could be divided into two groups with distinct antigenic determinants (S and F), which were separated by DEAE ion-exchange cellulose chromatography. Approximately two-thirds of the fragments had S antigenic groupings and one-third had F antigenic groupings. These data are consistent with the view that mouse gamma globulin is split by papain and cysteine into three major fragments, two of which are of the S type and one of the F type.