Regulation of idiotope expression. III. H-2 influences the magnitude and the idiotypy of a T-independent antibody response in mice of certain genetic backgrounds.
Antibody response to the phosphocholine (PC) epitope on Streptococcus pneumoniae R36a (Pn), a T-independent Ag type 2, was studied in H-2 congenic mouse strains. The PC-specific antibody plaque-forming cells (PFC) were enumerated in the spleen at various intervals after the primary Pn injection, and the proportion of PFC that produced antibody expressing the AB1-2 idiotope (Id) was determined by using the corresponding monoclonal anti-Id. AB1-2 is a cross-reactive Id, detectable on germline-encoded PC antibody of the T15 family, and on most, but not all, somatic variants of that antibody. The specific PFC responses in BALB/c (H-2d) and BALB.B (H-2b) strains were of comparable magnitude and most, if not all, PFC were ABl-1 Id-positive (AB1-2+). This was not the case in the responses of the B10D2 (H-2d) vs C57BL/10 (H-2b) strains and the D1.C (H-2d) vs D1.LP (H-2b) strains (on DBA/1 background). In each of these pairs, the H-2d mice were high responders, and the response was dominated by AB1-2 Id (greater than or equal to 80% AB1-2+ PFC at the peak, on day 5). The H-2b mice were low responders, and only a minor proportion of PFC (less than or equal to 30%) were AB1-2+; an increase of AB1-2+ was seen later in the response (d.10). The results of PFC assays were confirmed by measuring the PC-binding antibody and AB1-2 Id in the sera of D1.C and D1.LP mice immunized repeatedly with Pn. Moreover, D1.LP mice that had very low levels of AB1-2 Id had higher serum levels of antibody expressing two other T15 Id, B36-82, and B24-44. The B36-82 and B24-44 Id have been previously found on somatic variants of PC antibody expressed independently of the Ab1-2 Id. The concentrations of these two Id in D1.LP mice after repeated immunization approached those in D1.C. These results indicate that 1) the H-2 allelism may have a significant effect on TID antibody response in mice of a certain genetic background, but not in the BALB/c; and 2) the idiotypic repertoire of the response may be influenced by H-2 at the level of clonal variants of PC-reactive cells.
Cronkhite
R
R
Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77550.
Strickland
F
F
Cerny
J
J
D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000955:Antigens, T-Independent / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D006183:H-2 Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006433:Hemocyanins / Q000276:immunology; D006462:Hemolytic Plaque Technique; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D010767:Phosphorylcholine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines; D013045:Species Specificity; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology
D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D000955:Antigens, T-Independent; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D006183:H-2 Antigens; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines; D010767:Phosphorylcholine; D006433:Hemocyanins; C032808:keyhole-limpet hemocyanin