Presence of common idiotypes on antibodies induced by glutamic acid‐lysine‐containing terpolymers in responder and nonresponder mice with the lg‐1b heavy chain allotype

Abstract

A B10.A(5R) responder mouse to the random linear terpolymer, poly‐L‐(Glu, Lys, Phe), GLΦ, can produce immunoglobulins which bind poly‐L (Glu, Lys), GL, that share idiotypic determinants with GL‐ binding antibodies produced by other members of the same strain. Expression of these common idiotypic determinants, termed BGL, is independent of the H‐2 haplotype and closely linked to the Ig‐1^b heavy chain allotype. Moreover, nonresponder mice with the Ig‐1^b heavy chain allotype, when immunized with GLΦ that has been chemically coupled to an immunogenic carrier, chicken IgG, can produce GL‐binding antibodies that share BGL idiotypic specificities with anti‐GLΦ antibodies produced by responder animals. Also, the responses to other GL‐containing polymers, such as poly‐L (Glu, Lys, Ala) and poly‐L (Glu, Lys, Pro), which are under the control of distinct Ir genes, can stimulate the production of GL‐binding antibodies that share common BGL idiotypic determinants with antibodies induced with GLΦ. These findings are discussed with respect to their implications concerning the mechanism(s) of Ir gene control.