The vectorial release of nascent immunoglobulin peptides.

A microsomal preparation from a mouse plasmacytoma, MOPC 47A, that secretes immunoglobulin A was used to study the release of nascent immunoglobulin peptides in vitro. Nascent chains were released with puromycin and characterized with specific antiserum against the immunoglobulin product of the tumour. When the tissue had been prelabelled with [(3)H]leucine the experiments were complicated by the large background of completed radioactive polypeptides in the microsomal preparation. Up to one-third of the released radioactivity in the microsomal preparation could be recognized as immunoglobulin. With [(3)H]-puromycin as the radioactive label, however, the results are much easier to interpret, although the proportion of released radioactivity that can be identified as immunoglobulin is lower (up to one-tenth). Both types of experiment demonstrate that all of the recognizable nascent immunoglobulin chains remain in association with the microsomal vesicles after release from the ribosomes.