Heavy and light chains of a mouse monoclonal autoantibody express the same idiotype.
We report on the detection of the same idiotype (Id62) on the heavy and light chains of a mouse monoclonal autoantibody to thyroglobulin. This result was obtained by a simple, sensitive, and reproducible technique, namely immunoblot on nitrocellulose paper of electrophoretically separated heavy and light chains by using a panel of 125I-labeled anti-idiotype probes. These included polyclonal heterologous and syngeneic affinity-purified antibodies and a syngeneic monoclonal antibody. The immunoblot findings were confirmed through the solid-phase radioimmunoassay binding of the anti-idiotype probes to isolated H and L polypeptide chains prepared by conventional chromatography methods. Because anti-idiotype probes define a putative regulatory idiotype of the BALB/c autoimmune response to thyroglobulin, it is suggested that the simultaneous presence of the same idiotype on H and L chains may confer to antibody regulatory properties within the idiotypic network. The significance of the existence of the same idiotype on H and L chains and the implication of this finding for the regulation of the immune response to self antigens are discussed.
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000032:analysis*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D001666:Binding Sites, Antibody; D003429:Cross Reactions; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000032:analysis*; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes / Q000032:analysis*; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains / Q000032:analysis*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology; D011817:Rabbits; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000276:immunology*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001323:Autoantibodies; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains; D010455:Peptides; D013954:Thyroglobulin