Detection Method:Sandwich
Test principle:This assay employs a two-site sandwich ELISA to quantitate IgM in samples. An antibody specific for IgM has been pre-coated onto a microplate. Standards and samples are pipetted into the wells and anyIgM present is bound by the immobilized antibody. After removing any unbound substances, a biotin-conjugated antibody specific for IgM is added to the wells. After washing, Streptavidin conjugated Horseradish Peroxidase (HRP) is added to the wells. Following a wash to remove any unbound avidin-enzyme reagent, a substrate solution is added to the wells and color develops in proportion to the amount of IgM bound in the initial step. The color development is stopped and the intensity of the color is measured.
Product Overview:Immunoglobulin M, or IgM for short, is a basic antibody that is present on B cells. It is the primary antibody against A and B antigens on red blood cells. IgM is by far the physically largest antibody in the human circulatory system. It is produced after an animal has been exposed to an antigen for an extended time or when an animal is exposed to an antigen for the second time. IgM forms polymers where multiple immunoglobulins are covalently linked together with disulfide bonds, mostly as a pentamer but also as a hexamer. IgM has a molecular mass of approximately 900 kD (in its pentamer form). Because each monomer has two antigen binding sites, a pentameric IgM has 10 binding sites. Typically, however, IgM cannot bind 10 antigens at the same time because the large size of most antigens hinders binding to nearby sites.
