A kinetic study of membrane immunoglobulin capping by flow cytometry.

A flow cytometric procedure has been developed for performing kinetic studies on the capping of membrane immunoglobulin (mIg) on B lymphocytes. Mouse B cells were stained with fluorescein-conjugated antimouse-Ig antisera and subjected to pulse-shape (width, peak, and area) analyses prior to, during, and after ligand-induced redistribution of mIg. It was found that ring-stained, patched, and capped cells could be discriminated based on the width of the electronic signal curve generated as the cells passed through the laser beam. Additionally, endocytosis and or shedding of the cap could be correlated with a change in the area under the curve. Using these two parameters (width and area), the effects of temperature, cross-linking, and several pharmacological agents on the capping process were examined. Through the use of flow cytometry, the inhibitory effects of various perturbants could be localized to discrete stages of the capping process.