Diverse VH and VL genes are used to produce antibodies against a defined protein epitope.
mAb secreting hybridomas were produced from mice hyperimmune to the model Ag tobacco mosaic virus protein. Six mAb were selected for their ability to bind synthetic peptides corresponding to amino acid residues 103-112 and 97-107 of tobacco mosaic virus protein. These mAb were analyzed for their fine specificity by measuring binding to synthetic analogs of the decapeptide, and cDNA sequences encoding the mAb V regions were determined. These analyses revealed that a wide range of different V regions are capable of binding with the same decapeptide epitope, and that these antibody sequence differences generally coincided with different binding fine specificities. This diverse antibody response with specificity for the same epitope demonstrates both the breadth of potential of the immune system and the lack of exclusivity in specific protein:protein interactions.
Andria
M L
ML
Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis 95616.
Levy
S
S
Benjamini
E
E
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000235:genetics*; D000916:Antibody Diversity; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000235:genetics*; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008805:Mice, Inbred A; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D014027:Tobacco Mosaic Virus / Q000276:immunology; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains; D014764:Viral Proteins