Relation between Serum and Colostrum Antibody in the Goat

Abstract

IT has been suggested that antibody synthesis can occur in mammary tissue¹. It has also been suggested that the observed differences in γ-globulins and in specific antibodies between serum and milk or colostrum are due to selectivity or to active transport mechanisms^2,3. On the other hand, Hanson⁴ was unable to identify a milk protein antigenetically identical to human serum 7S γ-globulin, and Chodirker et al.⁵ were able to demonstrate little or no γ₂-globulin in milk. Much of this work was based on the measurement of antibody activity without actual isolation of the antibody, or on γ-globulin determination by some means unrelated to the presence of specific antibody. Using labelling techniques, Askonas et al.⁶ showed that in the rabbit, and probably in the goat also, specific antibodies in the milk appeared to be derived directly from serum antibody. The work recorded here was undertaken to compare the electrophoretic mobility in starch gel of a particular antibody from the serum of the goat with that from colostrum, both of which were free of non-specific protein. The electrophoretic patterns of the papain digests of the respective antigen–antibody precipitates were also compared.