Heterogeneity of rabbit IgM antibody as detected by C'1a fixation.

The C'1a-fixing properties of purified rabbit IgM anti-benzenearsonate antibody were determined. When tested with sheep erythrocytes to which hapten had been coupled by diazo linkage, the number of C'1a molecules fixed was 21% of the number of IgM antibody molecules bound to the erythrocyte surface. This was not due to loss of C'1a-fixing capacity during the purification procedure. Preparative electrophoresis of the antibody concentrated C'1a-fixing molecules in the anodal region so that antibody fractions with greater C'1a-fixing capacity were obtained. The demonstration that C'1a fixation is a property of a subpopulation of IgM molecules provides evidence for previously unrecognized micro-chain heterogeneity.