Fractionation of rat IgG subclasses and screening for IgG Fc-binding to bacteria

The four IgG subclasses of the rat, IgGl, IgG2a, IgG2b and IgG2c, were purified from normal serum by a combination of protein A-affinity chromatography and DEAE-cellulose chromatography. Purified, radiolabelled preparations of IgG were tested for binding to Gram-positive bacteria representing five different Fc-receptor (FcR) types. Distinct rat subclass-specific Fc-binding was noted to bacterial species belonging to different Fc-receptor types. Staphylococcus aureus (FcR I) strains bind IgGl and IgG2c as shown by others. Group C and G Streptococci (FcR III) bind all four subclasses of rat IgG. Streptococcus zooepidemicus strains (FcR V) also bind all four subclases but only to a lower degree. Human group A Streptococci (FcR II) and bovine group G Streptococci (FcR IV) do not bind any of the rat IgG subclasses. Elution studies on two strains. Staphylococcus aureus, Cowan I, and human group G Streptococcus, G 148, showed that both thiocyanate and pH-elution might be useful for the fractionation of IgG subclasses bound to bacterial cells. The present work indicates the possible use of bacterial cells as solid-phase absorbents in immunological studies of rat IgG.