title: Structural studies of induced antibodies with defined idiotypic specificities. IV. The heavy chains of anti-streptococcal group A carbohydrate antibodies from Sprague-Dawley rats carrying a cross-reacting idiotype.
abstract: The heavy (H) chains of three anti-streptococcal group A carbohydrate antibodies (anti-SACHO) of restricted heterogeneity, elicited in inbred Sprague-Dawley rats, were subjected to 40 cycles of automated Edman degradation. All three antibody H-chain preparations had an identical amino acid sequence and were classified as a variant of the VHIII subgroup of immunoglobulin H chains. A comparison of the H-chain sequence of these antibodies with that of pooled rat gamma chains suggests that a very minor population of H chains (closely related to the VHIII subgroup) has been 'recruited' as a consequence of this immunization. This observation further supports the notion that 'framework' and 'specificity' or 'hypervariable regions' are closely linked.
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D007114:Immunization; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D002241:Carbohydrates; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains