WholeIgGantibodiesareisolatedasintactmoleculesfromantiserabyimmunoaffinitychromatography.TheyhaveanFcportionandtwoantigenbindingFabportionsjoinedtogetherbydisulfidebondsandthereforetheyaredivalent.Theaveragemolecularweightisreportedtobeabout160kDa.ThewholeIgGformofantibodiesissuitableforthemajorityofimmunodetectionproceduresandisthemostcosteffective.
Storefreeze-driedpowderat2-8°C.Whenreadytouse,rehydratewithindicatedvolumeofd.waterandcentrifugeifnotclear.Productisstableforabout6weeksat2-8°Casanundilutedliquid.Prepareworkingdilutionfresheachday.Forextendedstorageafterrehydration,addanequalvolumeofglycerol(ACSgradeorbetter)forafinalconcentrationof50%,andstoreat-20°Casaliquid.Note:aftertheadditionofglycerol,theconcentrationofproteinandbuffersaltsisone-halfoftheoriginal.Alternatively,aliquotandfreezetheproductat-70°Corbelowintheabsenceofglycerol.Avoidrepeatedfreezingandthawing.
Expirationdate:oneyearfromdateofrehydration.However,theexpirationdatemaybeextendediftheproductisstoredaccordingtotherecommendationandthetestresultsareacceptableforitsintendeduse.
FITC(Fluoresceinisothiocyanate)istheformoffluoresceinusedforconjugationtoallofourantibodiesandpurifiedproteins,withtheexceptionofstreptavidin.Fluoresceinconjugatesabsorblightmaximallyat492nmandfluorescemaximallyat520nm.Althoughlessbrightthanothergreen-fluorescingdyes,FITCisstillawidelyusedfluorophoreduetoitslonghistory.Themajordisadvantageoffluoresceinisitsrapidphotobleaching(fading),whichcanbemitigatedbytheuseofananti-fadingagentinthemountingmedium.AbetterchoiceformanyapplicationsinvolvingFITCisAlexaFluor®488becauseitisbrighterandmorephotostable.
