The Effect of Iodination on Antibody Activity

Abstract

The effect of extent of iodination on antibody activity was studied in the following systems: a) the specific precipitation of antiovalbumin and of antibovine serum albumin, b) the localizing activity of antikidney antibody c) the binding activity of antierythrocyte antibody. In each system the antibody activity is decreased rapidly with iodination; 30-iodine atoms per antibody molecule essentially destroy activity. The destruction is interpreted as being due to preferential iodination of a particular group, probably tyrosine, in the antibody specific site. Iodination below 2 atoms/molecule does not affect antibody activity of antibodies requiring only one site for activity, i.e., localizing, binding, or hemolytic antibodies.