Fc-mediated immune precipitation. III. Visualization by electron microscopy.

Fc-mediated interactions between immune complexes are of major importance for the precipitin reaction. In the present study these interactions were investigated by means of electron microscopy. Keyhole limpet haemocyanin (KLH) was adsorbed to a thin glow charged carbon supporting film and reacted with either rabbit anti-KLH IgG or anti-KLH F(ab')2 fragments. The Fc-Fc interactions were investigated by reacting these surface-adsorbed antibody-rich KLH immune complexes with soluble, antigen-rich ferritin-anti-ferritin complexes using either rabbit anti-ferritin IgG or the corresponding isomolar F(ab')2 fragments as antibody. Fc-Fc interactions were indicated by the formation of clusters or ring structures of ferritin molecules, which were only seen when using KLH anti-KLH IgG and ferritin-anti-ferritin IgG complexes. When F(ab')2 fragments were used as antibody, no reaction between KLH anti-KLH complexes and ferritin-anti-ferritin complexes could be demonstrated.