UNIFORMITY IN CLONAL REPERTOIRE FOR IMMUNE-RESPONSE TO PHOSPHORYLCHOLINE IN MICE

A comparison of the clonal nature of the immune response to phosphorylcholine (PC) was made in 9 different inbred mouse strains. Quantitative idiotypic analysis showed that anti-PC antibodies from each strain were composed of antibodies bearing binding-site idiotypic determinants indistinguishable from 2 different BALB/c myeloma proteins, T15 and M511. Idiotypic determinants of 2 other PC-binding proteins, M167 and M603, were not detected. Isoelectric focusing of the L chains verified the presence of antibodies similar to T15 and M511 in each strain, and indicated the presence of 2 additional antibodies; one of which has an L chain which cofocuses with M603. Fractionation of anti-PC antibody with anti-idiotypic antibody showed that immunoglobulins bearing T15 and M511 idiotypic determinants are separate and contain L chains that are uniform and resemble those of T15 and M511, respectively. These mice which differ genetically at multiple loci, including the H chain allotype complex locus, each possess (at least in part) an equivalent set of clonotypes specific for PC. This indicates that the genes encoding these antibodies must be contained in the germ line.