Binding of different antigen-enzyme and antibody-enzyme conjugates by intracellular antibodies in cytoplasm and Golgi complex of plasma cells. A double immunocytochemical study.

Intracellular immunoglobulins in plasma cells were characterized by antigen-enzyme conjugates and anti-immunoglobulin antibody-enzyme conjugates applied in a double immunocytochemical approach. After their assemblage, immunoglobulins in the cytoplasm of anti-TNP anti-body producing plasma cells can be demonstrated both by TNP-enzyme conjugates and by anti-immunoglobulin (mu or gamma chain specific) antibody-enzyme conjugates. Once arrived in the Golgi complex (GC) detection with TNP-enzyme conjugates remains possible, but anti-immunoglobulin anti-body-enzyme conjugates did not bind to a detectable degree. Similar results were obtained in experiments where immunoglobulin-enzyme conjugates were used both as an antigen-enzyme conjugate and as an antibody-enzyme conjugate.