A COMPARISON OF SOME PROPERTIES OF BOVINE CONGLUTININ WITH THOSE OF RABBIT IMMUNO-CONGLUTININ

Abstract

A number of properties of bovine conglutinin and rabbit immuno-conglutinin (I-K) have been compared. These are summarized. Bovine conglutinin is seen to be an antigenically specific $1 globulin which reacts with the alexinated complex only in the presence of calcium. A reaction with zymosan and with agar occurs which is dependent on calcium ions but not on the presence of complement. For this reason EDTA-containing buffers should be used in immuno-diffusion studies on conglutinin. From conglutinated zymosan substantially purified preparations of conglutinin have been obtained. Rabbit immuno-conglutinin is seen to show the properties to be expected of an antibody to fixed complement. A preliminary account is given of an immuno-histological technique employing conglutination which will detect bound complement of various species in tissues. By EDTA elution of conglutinated gamma-globulin aggregates alexinated with guinea-pig complement a preparation of C1 has been obtained which had C1 haemolytic activity and which gives a single line in the [beta]1 region on immunoelectrophoresis with an anti-guinea-pig globulin serum.