title: The monoclonal anti-phosphorylcholine antibody response in several murine strains: genetic implications of a diverse repertoire.
abstract: The idiotypic identification of monoclonal antibodies has been used to define and enumerate clonotypes within the murine repertoire of B cells specific for phosphorylcholine (PC). The response in the BALB/c strain is dominated by a single antibody specificity which is identical to TEPC 15 protein; however, antibody without the TEPC 15 idiotype appears heterogeneous by idiotypic cross-reactivity and hapten inhibition of binding to antigen. Dissection of the PC-specific repertoire in the AKR, A/He, and C3H strains has indicated that some monoclonal antibodies share binding-site idiotypic determinants with TEPC 15, although these clones represent a minority of the precursor cells. In addition to providing insights into the heterogeneity and expression of the murine B-cell repertoire, these studies emphasize structural relationships between PC-specific clonotypes. Within the BALB/c strain, some antibodies share combining-site-related idiotypic specificities with TEPC 15, but differ in other variable region determinants. Among allotypically distinct strains, there exists a remarkable similarity of variable region determinants in at least a minority of antibodies.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001666:Binding Sites, Antibody; D002794:Choline / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D000939:Epitopes; D005796:Genes; D007126:Immunoglobulin Allotypes; D051379:Mice; D010767:Phosphorylcholine / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D007126:Immunoglobulin Allotypes; D010767:Phosphorylcholine; D002794:Choline