[Immunology of beta-adrenergic receptors: a working model of a hormone-mimicking internal image].

Two types of antibodies have been prepared against beta-adrenergic receptors: (1) antibodies against receptor, purified from turkey erythrocyte membranes by affinity chromatography on alprenolol sepharose, and (2) antiidiotypic antibodies raised against the anti-alprenolol immunoglobulins. Both types of antibodies specifically bind to cells which possess beta-adrenergic receptor and mimick the biological effect of the catecholamine hormone: they stimulate basal adenylate-cyclase and enhance adenylate-cyclase activation by catecholamines. The antiidiotypic antibodies only compete with (--)-3H-dihydroalprenolol for binding to the beta-adrenergic receptors on purified turkey erythrocyte membranes. The use of these antibodies as tools for the study of the mechanism of the beta-adrenergic receptor-cyclase complex is discussed.