Hemolytic efficiency of cell-bound IgM: evidence that IgM-C1 complexes activate C4 molecules not hemolytic with homologous C2--C9.

The hemolytic efficiency of rabbit-anti-Forssman IgM antibody depends on the source of complement components. With whole guinea pig complement as few as one in 10 IgM molecules was hemolytic; it was found that with purified guinea pig C1, C4, and C2 components and with rat late-acting components, all IgM molecules were hemolytic. Evidence indicates that the block occurred as a result of generating at least two different cell-bound C4 molecules, one of which was not competent with homologous late-acting components.