Journal of Experimental Medicine, Vol 146, 282-286, Copyright © 1977 by Rockefeller University Press
Novel idiotypic and antigen-binding characteristics in two anti- dinitrophenyl monoclonal antibodies
NH Sigal
Monoclonal anti-dinitrophenyl antibodies generated in the splenic focus
system from B cells of adult BALB/c mice were studied for the presence or
absence of murine anti-T15 (M anti-T15) reactivity and for their ability to
bind phosphorylcholine (PC). Two foci of the 680 clones analyzed bound PC,
and one of these antibodies reacted with M anti-T15 and anti-Fab on a 1:1
weight basis. The discovery of a clonotype reactive with M anti-15 but not
with rabbit anti-T15 (R anti-T15) serum, the converse of the R anti-T15+, M
anti-T15- clonotype identified in the PC-specific repertoire, points to the
novel idiotypic relationships which may be found among homogeneous
antibodies binding diverse antigens. The R anti-T15-, M anti-T15+ clonotype
may represent a distinct set of hypervariable region sequences inserted
into the T15 framework or may be a somatic variant of the T15 germ-line
sequence. In addition, the maximum frequency with which this clonotype
occurs within the B-cell pool is estimated.