Binding of secretory component to human immunoglobulin M

The binding of human free secretory component to immoglobulin M (IgM) has been studied in vitro as a model for the formation of complexes between the two proteins in vivo. Three IgM myelomas and normal serum IgM were found to bind secretory component in amounts from 0.8 to 2.0 mol per mol of IgM. This variation in binding was not related to a corresponding variation of the J-chain content of the immunoglobulins, but more likely it was due to varying amounts of unspecifically bound serum proteins blocking the attachment of secretory component. In contrast to complexes with immunoglobulin A (IgA), the binding of secretory component to IgM appeared to be solely of a noncovalent nature, as all secretory component was released from complexes with IgM during gel chromatography in 6 M guanidine hydrochloride. Studies with tryptic fragments of one of the IgM myelomas indicated that the binding site for secretory component is located on the (Fc)5mu part of the IgM pentamer. Finally, only minimal conformational changes were found to accompany complex formation between secretory component and IgM, analogous to what has earlier been reported for the attachment of the secretory component to IgA.