Comparison of surface properties of human IgA, IgE, IgG and IgM antibodies with identical and different specificities.

In this paper, the authors report the use of liquid-liquid partition chromatography (LLPC) in an aqueous polyethylene glycol (PEG)/dextran two-phase system to compare the surface properties (partition properties) of human antibodies and fragments thereof. The surface properties of all the monoclonal antibodies of different classes and subclasses investigated were within the same broad range as that observed for the polyclonal antibodies and no relationship was found between the exposed surfaces of the immunoglobulins (Ig) and their heavy chain isotype. Moreover, Fc fragments from various IgG1, 2 and 4 myeloma proteins were found to exhibit similar surface properties. Employing chimeric antibodies with identical variable regions the authors found that intact IgG1, 2 and 4 displayed identical surface properties, while the corresponding IgA1, IgA2, IgG3, IgE and IgM antibodies differed both from each other and from the IgGs. The surface properties of chimeric IgG3 could be made similar to those of the IgG1, 2 and 4 chimers by partially reducing the length of the hinge section, but new differences in surface properties appeared when their hinges were of similar length. Thus, LLPC can be used to detect differences or similarities in the surface properties of the antigen-binding regions as well as the Fc part in the various isotypes. This can shed light on biological activities such as antigen binding and effector function.