The antibody response to a single antigenic determinant of the tobacco mosaic virus protein (TMVP): effects of allotype-linked genes and restricted heterogeneity of the response.

The antibody response to a decapeptide antigenic determinant representing residues 103 to 112 of the tobacco mosaic virus protein (TMVP) was studied with the synthetic decapeptide and a panel of its synthetic analogues. The anti-decapeptide response was found to be of restricted heterogeneity and was regulated by heavy chain allotype-linked (V region) genes on at least two levels. One level was whether or not a significant antibody response was made to the decapeptide determinant. Thus, strains with the Igh haplotypes j, o, e, and n were high responders, whereas strains with haplotype Ighb were low responders. The second level of V region gene control was with regard to the fine specificity of the anti-decapeptide antibodies produced. Using the peptide panel to analyze fine specificity, we define two new V region genetic markers, VH-TMVPj and VH-TMVPe.