Genetic control of the immune response to the terpolymer L‐glutamic acid 60‐L‐alanine 30‐L‐tyrosine10(GAT). III. Restricted heterogeneity of the anti‐GAT response from BALB/c responder mice

Abstract

The heterogeneity of the anti‐GAT [terpolymer poly(Glu⁶⁰, Ala³⁰, Tyr¹⁰)] response of GAT responder mice has been analyzed. Purified anti‐GAT antibodies from BALB/c mice belong only to the γ₁χ subclass. The isoelectric focusing pattern obtained indicates that the anti‐GAT antibodies are particularly basic and restricted. These results have been confirmed by two‐dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; by this technique, we have shown that the γ₁ chain and the corresponding χchain of anti‐ GAT antibodies are restricted. All the anti‐GAT antibodies from 10 BALB/c mice bear the cross‐reactive GAT idiotype previously defined (J. Thèze and G. Sommé, Eur. J. Immunol. 1979, 9: 294). The present results indicate that the anti‐GAT repertoire expressed in BALB/c mice is very limited.