title: An idiotypic marker for the VL region of an homogeneous antibody.
abstract: Studies on the inheritance of idiotypes in rabbits have not yielded consistently positive results. This inconsistency may be due to the fact that an idiotype is a complex phenotype, dependent in most cases on the coordinate expression of unlinked H and L chain genes. In an attempt to reduce this complexity, H and L chain specific idiotypes have been sought. In one fortuitous instance, an homologous antiidiotypic serum raised against homogeneous antistreptococcal antibody 4539 was shown to bind free 4539 L chain. An anti-idiotypic antibody fraction specific for the L chain was isolated from this antiserum by affinity chromatography on a column to which 4539 L chains had been covalently bound. The specificity of this preparation was demonstrated by radioimmunoassay, and sera from both related and unrelated rabbits were screened for the presence of the L chain idiotype. Positive tests were obtained for sera from 56% of related rabbits immunized with group C streptococci, while preimmune sera and group C and group A antisera from unrelated rabbits had no detectable levels of the 4539 L chain idiotype. The 4539 L chain also expressed a recently described, genetically determined CL marker (b4var). This combination of markers will allow CL-VL linkage studies. More recently a procedure specifically designed to elicit chain-specific idiotypic antisera has been successfully tested, yielding an antiserum specific for the H chain of another antistreptococcal antibody, 4135.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001666:Binding Sites, Antibody; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D002847:Chromatography, Agarose; D005838:Genotype; D007106:Immune Sera; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains; D010375:Pedigree; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D007106:Immune Sera; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains