Immunochemical studies on heterogeneity of IgD myeloma proteins.

An antigenic heterogeneity among IgD myeloma proteins was tested by immunoelectrophoresis and double immunodiffusion in agar with four kinds of anti-delta(Fc) antisera produced by immunization with isolated Fc fragments of IgD myeloma proteins. According to antigenicity of the Fc fragment, IgD myeloma proteins were divided into two different groups. Anti-delta(Fc)-T1 (S.T.) antiserum, absorbed with te Y.S. myeloma protein or serum, either gave a faint precipitin line or failed to react against the isolated IgD myeloma proteins or sera. With the papain-digested IgD myeloma proteins and sera, anti-delta(Fc)-T1 antiserum either gave heavy precipitin lines or failed to react. Of twelve papain-digested sera containing IgD myeloma proteins tested, nine (75%) showed positive precipitin lines using anti-delta(Fc)-T1 antiserum. No relationship was found between the two groups of myeloma proteins with respect to IgD levels. SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the IgD myeloma proteins (S.T. and Y.S.) showed no difference in the molecular weights of the whole myeloma proteins, and their light and heavy chains. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the IgD myeloma proteins (S.T. and Y.S.), after treatment with papain, revealed almost the same patterns.