Isolation of Fc receptor shed from pig lymphocytes by a temperature shift.

Lymphocytes obtained from pig blood by gradient centrifugation were subjected to a temperature shift (4 to 37 degrees C). The proteins released from the plasma membrane were fractionated by affinity chromatography using immunoglobulin G immobilized on fine polyamide particles. The main component liberated from the adsorbent by diethylamine buffer (pH 11.5) exhibited an apparent Mr of 18000-20000 in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This crude receptor preparation possessed a substantially higher affinity to immobilized immunoglobulin G than to immobilized Fab fragment and inhibited significantly the binding of labeled immunoglobulin G to pig lymphocytes.