F(ab′)2 Reagents Are not Required If Goat, Rather Than Rabbit, Antibodies Are Used to Detect Human Surface Immunoglobulin

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Abstract
The present report provides evidence that whole goat anti-human immunoglobulin, unlike similar reagents produced in the rabbit, binds both to the same number of and the same individual cells as the F(ab′)2 fragments of rabbit or goat anti-human immunoglobulin. These results suggest that goat IgG has a lower affinity for the Fc receptors of human lymphocytes and monocytes than rabbit IgG. Because of this property, whole goat antibodies against human immunoglobulin can be used as simple, convenient relatively inexpensive reagents for the routine detection of immunoglobulin on cell surfaces by immunofluorescence microscopy. The preparation of F(ab′)2 fragments of anti-immunoglobulin, which are necessary when rabbit antibodies are used, does not appear to be required if goat antibodies can be employed. This observation has multiple practical applications in cellular immunology.