Idiotypic analysis of antibodies to hen egg-white lysozyme (HEL) . I. Occurrence of species-specific cross-reactive idiotypes of antibodies directed to distinct regions of HEL in guinea pigs
Sakato, N.; Fujio, H.; Amano, T.
Journal of Immunology 124(4): 1866-1874
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-1767 PMID: 7365240 Document Number: 166646
The successful isolation of 2 distinct antibody populations with different specificity, 1 recognizing the loop region (peptide 8, P8) of hen egg-white lysozyme (HEL) and the other recognizing the N- and C-terminal region (peptide 17, P17) of HEL, from the antiserum of a single animal (No. 10) of strain 13 (ST13) guinea pig immunized against intact lysozyme molecule enabled the occurrence of idiotypes of both antibodies in sera of several animal species immunized against HEL to be tested. ST13 anti-P8 antibody (No. 10) and ST13 anti-P17 antibody (No. 10) were inoculated into rabbits to induce anti-idiotypic sera. The rabbit antisera were extensively absorbed with normal ST13 immunoglobulins to render them idiotype specific. The reaction between 125I-ST13 anti-P8 idiotype (No. 10) and its anti-idiotypic antiserum was completely inhibited by the cold ST13 anti-P8 idiotype (No. 10) and not by ST13 anti-P17 antibody (No. 10). Conversely, cold ST13 anti-P17 antibody (No. 10) caused a complete displacement of the 125I-ST13 anti-P17 (No. 10)/anti-idiotype reaction, whereas cold ST13 anti-P8 antibody (No. 10) caused little or no inhibition. The ST13 anti-P8 idiotype (No. 10) was found in the anti-HEL antibodies of all individuals of 3 strains of guinea pig tested. In contrast, the levels of the ST13 anti-P17 idiotype (No. 10) detected in the anti-HEL antibodies of guinea pigs were much less when compared with anti-P8 idiotype (No. 10). In addition, no significant levels of both ST13 anti-P8 idiotype (No. 10) and ST13 anti-P17 idiotype (No. 10) were detected in A/J mice, BALB/c mice, CD (SD) rats, goats or sheep. Antibodies against different determinants carried by HEL molecule apparently have different idiotypic specificities and that idiotypes of antibody directed to the loop region of HEL occur more frequently than that of antibody directed to the N-/C-terminal part of the same protein molecule, although both ST13 idiotypes of antibodies with different specificities are expressed only in guinea pigs.