Electrophoretic study of immunoglobulins and immunoglobulin sub-units on the surface of human peripheral blood lymphocytes.

Treatment of human peripheral blood lymphocytes with a polyvalent antiserum to human immunoglobulins causes a reduction in the electrophoretic mobility of the cells. Treatment of the lymphocytes with antisera to κ and λ chains has a similar effect, but antisera to α, γ and μ chains are only effective in this way when all antisera are mixed together. These findings point to the presence of immunoglobulin molecules on the surface of peripheral blood lymphocytes and the results are discussed in terms of the possible representation of immunoglobulin sub-units on the lymphocyte surface.