Binding Properties of Anti-Dinitrophenylated-Bacitracin A Antibodies Produced in Guinea Pigs

Abstract

Abstract Guinea pigs immunized with tri-DNP-bacitracin A produced anti-DNP-antibodies with binding characteristics which varied from individual to individual. Of nine antisera from single animals studied by equilibrium dialysis against tritiated DNP-ε-aminocaproic acid (DNP-EACA), DNP-δ-aminovaleric acid (DNP-DAVA) and DNP-isoleucine (DNP-ile), three bound DNP-EACA and DNP-DAVA clearly better than they bound DNP-ile, one bound DNP-ile with a significantly greater energy of interaction that it bound DNP-DAVA, and five bound the ligands with similar or only slightly different energies of interaction. In contrast, anti-DNP antisera produced by seven individual guinea pigs immunized with DNP-BGG or DNP-BSA all bound DNP-EACA or DNP-DAVA to a greater degree than they bound DNP-ile. These observations suggest that individual animals can respond preferentially to one of a series of antigenic determinants presented on the same molecule.