title: The molecular structure of human antibodies specific for the human immunodeficiency virus.
abstract: The molecular structure of human antibodies that are specific for human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) are of increasing interest as AIDS research progresses toward passive immunotherapeutics in the maintenance and prevention of infection. In recent years a number of human, HIV-specific hybridomas and EBV-transformed B cell lines, as well as a combinatorial library, have been developed and characterized at the molecular level. These sources have provided valuable information on the immunoglobulin heavy- and light-chain variable-region gene usage and the extent and appearance of somatic mutation in a disease where the immune system is under constant stimulation over a long period of time. In this article we review the current data available on the molecular structure of these antibodies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75235-9048, USA.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Andris
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Capra
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin / Q000235:genetics; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D015488:HIV Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D006822:Hybrid Cells; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009154:Mutation
chemical_list: D015483:HIV Antibodies; D015488:HIV Antigens