Fragmentation of immunoglobulin G

Abstract

For some purposes, fragments of the IgG molecule are preferred. The F(c) portion is useful for studies of biological effect-binding to the F(c) receptor, mediating antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, and complement fixation. The bivalent F(ab')(2) produced by digestion with pepsin and the monovalent Fab produced by digestion with papain are useful for studies based on the interaction between antibody binding site(s) with antigen. This unit also describes alternative methods for preparing F(ab')(2) fragments.