V and C gene contribution in creating anti-alpha-1,3 dextran antibodies in mice. II. Characteristics of Ig-lb to e prototype responses.

The light (L) and heavy (H) chain and the idiotypic (Id) composition of the antibody (Ab) plaque-forming cells (PFC) and serum Ab specific for alpha-1,3 dextran have been characterized in murine strains exhibiting the CH-Ig-lb to e allotypes and in their F1 hybrids with Ig-la1, BALB/c prototypes. The Ab response of the Ig-lb to e mice to the alpha-1,3 dextran was low in the kappa (kappa) L chain class with only a minor, sporadic Ab in the lambda (lambda) L chain class discernible after prolonged immunization. Two of a total of sixty-eight C57Bl/6 Ig-lb mice, in a total of 318 Ig-lb to e mice tested, exhibited, in late responses, a significantly elevated Ab in the lambda L class at both serum and PFC levels, equalling at the PFC level the total non-specific lambda PFC values. An Id analysis showed this lambda Ab and the kappa Ab to lack the Id relatedness to the three BALB/c alpha-1,3 dextran-binding myeloma proteins (MP) Ab prototypes, J-558, 104 E, and UPC-102, exhibited by the lambda Id+ Ab of the Ig-la1 BALB/c prototypes and their F1 hybrids with the Ig-lb to e prototypes. Furthermore, affinity differences could be detected by alpha-1,3 nigerodextrans, PFC inhibition analysis, between the late C57Bl/6 anti-alpha-1,3 dextran lambda Id--Ab PFC and the lambda Id+ Ab PFC of the BALB/c and their F1 progeny.