The immune response against anti-idiotope antibodies. I. Induction of idiotope-bearing antibodies and analysis of the idiotope repertoire.

In the present analysis we dissect the idiotype repertoire, independently of hapten-binding specificity, by immunizing different strains of mice with cross-linked monoclonal anti-idiotope antibodies against antibody B1-8. B1-8 is a monoclonal antibody with specificity for the hapten (4-hydroxy-3-nitro-phenyl)acetyl (NP) and carries a germ line gene-encoded variable region. The results demonstrate that the expression of B1-8 idiotopes and their association with each other and with NP-binding specificity are strain-specific. Certain idiotopes are expressed on antibodies differing in antigen-binding specificity, whereas one of the idiotopes appears strictly associated with NP-binding antibodies. The genetic analysis provides strong evidence that the strain specificity of the idiotope repertoire is a result of V region polymorphism in the mouse.