Anti-metatype antibody reactivity: a model for T-cell receptor recognition.

Anti-metatype (Met) antibodies are anti-immunoglobulins that specifically recognize an antibody-liganded active site but lack specificity for either the ligand or the idiotype. As proposed here by Edward Voss, anti-metatype-metatype immunoglobulin interactions may serve as a model for the interaction of the T-cell receptor (TCR) with antigen-MHC (class I/class II) complexes: the anti-metatype immunoglobulin reagent simulates the TCR and the liganded antibody mimics the antigen-MHC complex. Such a model addresses the dilemma of two macromolecules interacting with the same antigenic determinant and may represent a rational approach to improve understanding of the initiation and regulation of the immune response.