Structural composition of canine secretory component and immunoglobulin A

Dog serum and colostral immunoglobulin A (IgA) and free secretory component from colostrum were isolated using affinity chromatography. Both serum and colostral IgA showed similar susceptibility to reduction with dithiothreitol, but only colostral IgA released the additional subunit, bound secretory component. This released secretory component was identical with free secretory component with respect to electrophoretic migration, isoelectric focusing point, and molecular weight, but lacked some antigenic determinants. The amino acid composition and the N-terminal sequence of canine free secretory component was similar to that reported for the cow.