Lateral mobility and capping of rat lymphocyte membrane proteins.

Surface immunoglobulin (SIg), RT1 (rat histocompatibility proteins) and thy-1 present on rat lymphocytes cap with similar kinetics and to the same extent, the only difference being the antibody requirement. SIg requires one cross-linking antibody to induce capping, while RT1 and thy-1 require two antibodies. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching experiments show that there is heterogeneity in the diffusion characteristics of lymphocyte membrane proteins. SIg is relatively immobile when labeled by Fab' and is immobilized by F(ab')2. RT1 diffuses 2.7 times as fast as SIg and the mobile fraction of RT1 is greater. When RT1 is cross-linked by relatively low concentrations of F(ab')2 its mobility is about the same as that of SIg. When the concentration of F(ab')2 is increased, RT1 is immobilized. Thy-1 diffuses faster than SIg and has a higher mobile fraction. When thy-1 is labeled with F(ab')2 it remains mobile and is immobilized when a second antibody layer is added. The relative order of mobility is thy-1 much greater than RT1 greater than SIg.