Anti-idiotypic antibodies of IgM-type produced in carp (Cyprinus carpio L.).

Carp synthesize highly specific anti-idiotypic antibodies of the IgM class. Ant-idiotypic antibodies could be elicited in these animals by a human IgM myeloma protein and were detected in a passive hemagglutination assay. The agglutination was completely inhibited by approximately 0.15 microgram homologous antigen, whereas a 100 000-fold excess of a heterologous IgM myeloma protein of the same L chain type did not produce any inhibition. A possible subgroup specificity of carp anti-idiotypic antisera can be excluded.