Idiotypic specificities which arise naturally in rabbits following allotype suppression of the major VH subgroup.

Abstract

In contrast to normal IgG, some of the IgG molecules, which appear in compensation as a result of allotype suppression of IgG molecules of the major VH subgroup (a locus), were found to have an easily identifiable idiotypic specificity. For each of three donors' IgG, a different idiotypic specificity was present, and each idiotypic specificity was found on the Fab, as expected, but not on the Fc fragments. Further analysis of the IgG of one donor revealed that the idiotypic specificity was present on 15% of the Fab gamma fragments. The idiotypic specificity was expressed on IgG which also bor an allotypic specificity of the y locus VH subgroup of IgG which comprised most (72%) of the total compensatory IgG. This suggests that suppression of clones synthesizing the a locus major VH subgroup results in compensation by minor VH subgroup clones more limited in variability. These clones may then proliferate to synthesize larger amounts of IgG bearing the same idiotypic specificity which thereby becomes more easily detectable by immunization of rabbits.