title: Probing the human B-cell repertoire: isolation of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-transformed human B lymphocytes making antibodies with a common idiotope that have different antigen-binding specificities.
abstract: Human peripheral B lymphocytes were transformed with Epstein-Barr virus and probed with an antiidiotypic antibody made against a human monoclonal autoantibody. Six cell lines were isolated that produced antibodies bearing a common idiotope. Despite the presence of this common idiotope, the antibodies showed antigen-binding specificities different from that of the parental antibody to which the antiidiotypic antibody was made. By probing Epstein-Barr virus-transformed cells with well-characterized antiidiotypic antibodies, it should now be possible to isolate and determine the frequency of B cells bearing specific idiotopes in the human repertoire and to study the antigen-binding properties of these antibodies.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Oral Medicine, National Institute of Dental Research, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Uchigata
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Prabhakar
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Notkins
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D001666:Binding Sites, Antibody; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes