Biological effects of anti-idiotypic antibodies on lymphocyte function: I. Analysis of the effects on B lymphocytes of combining site and framework-directed anti-T-15 idiotypic antibodies

Anti-idiotypic antibodies against TEPC-15 myeloma protein (BALB/c origin) were raised in allogeneic animals by immunization of A/J mice with the myeloma protein. The antibody activities were fractionated into two specificities by TEPC-15 immunoadsorbent affinity columns by elution with free hapten (phosphorylcholine, PC), followed by elution with acidic buffer (glycine- HCl, pH 2.3). Idiotype binding analysis indicated that the fraction eluted with hapten could be inhibited in its binding to TEPC-15 by free hapten (i.e., binding site-directed anti-idiotypic antibody), whereas the acid-eluted fraction could not (i.e., framework-directed anti-idiotypic antibody). When analyzed for their biological activities on PC-specific B lymphocytes producing T-15 idiotype-bearing antibodies, both anti-idiotypic antibody fractions had similar suppressive effects on the in vitro production of antiphosphorylcholine antibody in culture.