title: Regulation of expression of a family of cross-reactive idiotypes.
abstract: It has recently been shown that anti-p-azophenylarsonate antibodies of A/J mice, which share a common idiotype, are not homogeneous but actually comprise a family of idiotypically related molecules. To obtain additional insight into the degree of relatedness of antibodies within this family, we have determined whether inoculation of any idiotype-positive hybridoma product, conjugated to thymocytes, can activate a regulatory mechanism capable of controlling the entire cross-reactive idiotypic response. In addition anti-idiotypic antibodies were prepared against individual hybridoma products, and their suppressive effects on the idiotypic component of the humoral response were determined. Inoculation of each of the idiotype-positive hybridoma products or anti-idiotypic antisera caused virtually complete suppression of the idiotypic component of the immune response. Furthermore, it was shown that the state of suppression induced by the inoculation of a hybridoma products could be adoptively transferred with T cells to mildly irradiated syngeneic recipients. The results indicate that there are sufficient structural similarities among the family of antibodies comprising the major cross-reactive idiotype to permit their recognition by the same set of elements involved in idiotypic regulation.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies; D000917:Antibody Formation; D003429:Cross Reactions; D000939:Epitopes; D006822:Hybrid Cells / Q000276:immunology; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008805:Mice, Inbred A; D010132:p-Azobenzenearsonate / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000939:Epitopes; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes; D010132:p-Azobenzenearsonate