Oudin J, Michel M
J Exp Med. 1969 Sep 1;130(3):595-617. doi: 10.1084/jem.130.3.595.
Sera of rabbits immunized against Salmonella typhi have been studied for the idiotypy of certain of their components, i.e., the property of these components to possess an antigenic specificity which is different in individual rabbits, and which varies with the antigens against which these rabbits have been immunized. The reagent used (precipitating anti-idiotypic sera) have been prepared by injecting rabbits with bacteria agglutinated by anti-S. typhi sera (immunizing sera) as was done in the first observations by the authors of the phenomenon in the rabbit. These first observations have been confirmed and extended. In contrast to allotypy, the anti-idiotypic sera precipitate the corresponding immunizing sera, but not the sera taken in the immunizing rabbits prior to their immunization against S. typhi, nor the immunizing sera absorbed with the somatic antigen of S. typhi, demonstrating that idiotypes are antibodies. The idiotypic specificities of the antibodies of one rabbit against S. typhi are not detected in the antibodies of the same rabbit against another noncross-reacting Salmonella (S. tranoroa) and vice versa; nor are they detected in the anti-pneumococcal antibodies of the same rabbit. Each anti-idiotypic serum fails to precipitate anti-S. typhi sera of rabbits other than the immunizing one except for certain extremely faint reactions, the significance of which has not been established. The idiotypic specificities of anti-S. typhi antibodies of three rabbits were not found in anti-S. typhi antibodies of their parents. This lack of a sign of hereditary transmission of idiotypic specificities contrasts with allotypy. The apparent role of random chance in the determinism of the idiotypic patterns or of the idiotypic determinants has been discussed. Unless it were admitted that antibodies with similar functions do not exist in different individuals, idiotypy apparently adds an order of magnitude to the antibody variability which had been previously envisaged. In one given individual, the heterogeneity of the idiotypic specificities seems to be less extended than that of the antibody functions. The possible relationships between these two levels of molecular variability and between the corresponding levels of cellular variability have been discussed.
已对用伤寒沙门氏菌免疫的兔子血清的某些成分的独特型进行了研究，即这些成分具有在个体兔子中不同的抗原特异性的特性，并且该特性会随着这些兔子所免疫的抗原而变化。所使用的试剂（沉淀抗独特型血清）是通过给兔子注射用抗伤寒沙门氏菌血清（免疫血清）凝集的细菌来制备的，就像该现象的作者在兔子身上的首次观察中所做的那样。这些首次观察结果已得到证实并有所扩展。与同种异型不同，抗独特型血清能沉淀相应的免疫血清，但不能沉淀免疫兔子在免疫伤寒沙门氏菌之前采集的血清，也不能沉淀用伤寒沙门氏菌菌体抗原吸收的免疫血清，这表明独特型是抗体。一只兔子针对伤寒沙门氏菌的抗体的独特型特异性在该兔子针对另一种非交叉反应性沙门氏菌（特拉诺拉沙门氏菌）的抗体中未被检测到，反之亦然；在同一只兔子的抗肺炎球菌抗体中也未被检测到。除了某些极其微弱的反应（其意义尚未确定）外，每种抗独特型血清都不能沉淀除免疫兔子之外的其他兔子的抗伤寒沙门氏菌血清。三只兔子的抗伤寒沙门氏菌抗体的独特型特异性在它们父母的抗伤寒沙门氏菌抗体中未被发现。这种独特型特异性缺乏遗传传递迹象的情况与同种异型形成对比。已经讨论了随机因素在独特型模式或独特型决定簇的决定作用中所起的明显作用。除非承认不同个体中不存在具有相似功能的抗体，否则独特型显然使先前设想的抗体变异性增加了一个数量级。在一个给定个体中，独特型特异性的异质性似乎比抗体功能的异质性范围更小。已经讨论了这两个分子变异性水平之间以及相应细胞变异性水平之间可能的关系。
