title: Llama single domain antibodies as a tool for molecular mimicry.
abstract: In camelids, a subset of the immunoglobulins consists of heavy-chain homodimers devoid of light chains, and are thus called heavy-chain IgGs (hcIgGs). Their variable region (VHH) is the smallest antigen-binding fragment possible, and being just one polypeptide chain it is especially suitable for engineering. In particular, camelid single domain antibodies might be very useful for molecular mimicry and anti-idiotypic vaccination. In the present work, we show that llamas immunized with an anti-DNA mouse mAb develop an important anti-Id response. Selection of VHHs by phage display, with specific elution of bound phages with the external antigenic DNA, shows that selected private anti-Id VHHs compete for binding to the external antigen and bear a functional mimicry of the DNA. These results indicate that llama anti-Id single domain antibodies would be an excellent tool for molecular mimicry studies.
authors.affiliation: Fundación Instituto Leloir, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Laura M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Zarebski
authors.forename: Mariela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Urrutia
authors.forename: Fernando A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Goldbaum
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D000915:Antibody Affinity; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D002161:Camelids, New World / Q000276:immunology*; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D018716:Molecular Mimicry / Q000276:immunology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D019151:Peptide Library; D015202:Protein Engineering; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D020349:Surface Plasmon Resonance
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D000941:Antigens; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D019151:Peptide Library; D004247:DNA