IUBio

What is the prime (') in F(ab)'2

David Peritt Peritt_d at a1.mscf.upenn.edu
Wed Sep 20 14:34:54 EST 1995


In article <17ADE145EF at aarlo.moffitt.usf.edu> Steven Shivers,
SHIVERS at AARLO.MOFFITT.USF.EDU writes:
>The above answer is almost right, but it doesn't go far enough.  The 
>enzyme papain cleaves the Ig molecule above the interchain (H-H) 
>disulfide bonds, such that 2 Fab fragments are produced.  The enzyme 
>pepsin cleaves the Ig molecule below the disulfide bonds so that the 
>2 fragments remain attached.  Since the latter fragments are slightly 
>larger than the former ones, the fragments are represented as 
>F(ab)'2.  Further cleavage of the disulfide bonds creates 2 Fab' 
>fragments, which are again slightly larger than the Fab fragments 
>produced by papain cleavage.

I find your description of Fab generation fascinating and your details
impecable BUT...
What is the (') that you put after Fab' or F(ab)'2.  The little mark that
sits above the letter b is called prime.  Why is it there.  I am
begginning to think it is a vestibular mark like the appendix but the
history of this mark is what I seek....



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