title: Nucleotide sequence analysis of the V regions of two IgM cold agglutinins. Evidence that the VH4-21 gene segment is responsible for the major cross-reactive idiotype.
abstract: Cold agglutinins are human autoantibodies, usually of the IgM class, which agglutinate RBC at low temperature. The major subset recognizes the I/i carbohydrate Ag, and many of these antibodies bear cross-reacting idiotypic determinants. An anti-idiotypic mAb that is specific for one of the idiotopes largely confined to cold agglutinins has been used to identify and monitor tumor cells that secrete these molecules in two patients. The tumor cells were immortalized with EBV and the idiotope-positive lines used to investigate the utilization of the VH and VL genes by these antibodies. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the two cold agglutinins (FS-1 and FS-2) revealed the utilization of a single common gene segment, VH4-21. Serologic analysis documented that only human antibodies utilizing the VH4-21 gene segment were reactive in the idiotope assay, other VHIV antibodies as well as a panel of antibodies derived from other VH families being negative. The DH, JH, VK, and JK gene segments of FS-1 and FS-2 were structurally distinct. These data suggest that the structural basis for the cross-reactive idiotope as well as cold agglutinin activity is the VH4-21 gene segment. A nucleotide change in H chain CDR1 of both cold agglutinins results in the substitution of an aspartic acid residue for glycine at position 31, suggesting that this amino acid might be critical to recognition of the red cell Ag.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75235-9048.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pascual
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Victor
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lelsz
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Spellerberg
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Hamblin
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Randen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Natvig
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Capra
authors.forename: F K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Stevenson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000373:Agglutinins / Q000235:genetics*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D003080:Cold Temperature; D003429:Cross Reactions; D003450:Cryoglobulins; D000939:Epitopes / Q000032:analysis*; D015321:Gene Rearrangement; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D006801:Humans; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes / Q000276:immunology*; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains / Q000235:genetics; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000235:genetics*; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010641:Phenotype
chemical_list: D000373:Agglutinins; D001323:Autoantibodies; D003450:Cryoglobulins; D000939:Epitopes; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; C029443:cold agglutinins