Diversity in the immune system: “Preconceived ideas” or ideas preconceived?

Two concepts of the evolution and regulation of expression of the combining site repertoire of the immune system, are compared. One view is based on the Associative Recognition Theory as formulated by the author and the other is based on the Idiotype Network Idea as conceived by Jerne. The two concepts are analyzed from the point of view of their logic, internal consistency and factual support.     

一种抗AIV共有独特型抗体具有AIV血凝素分子的内影象

用纯化的鸡抗禽流感病毒(AIV)IgG作免疫原,通过单克隆抗体技术制备出1株分泌针对鸡抗AIV和兔抗AIV共有独特型抗体的杂交瘤细胞.竞争抑制试验、特异性检验和诱导产生血凝抑制抗体的功能实验证明,此抗体具有AIV血凝素分子的内影象.     

用抗独特型单抗体外诱发抗天花粉蛋白的二次抗体应答

在前阶段工作中已获得16个抗天花粉蛋白的单抗。用其中的一个IgE类单抗TE 1免疫Wistar大鼠,通过大鼠-小鼠杂交瘤技术得到了抗独特型单抗。现研究抗独特型单抗AId 6c5在体外诱发二次抗体应答中所起的作用。实验结果表明:1.当将AId 6c5和天花粉蛋白初次免疫8周后的小鼠脾细胞和肠系膜淋巴结细胞一起培养时,能引起二次抗体应答,说明AId 6c5能代替抗原的刺激作用,如果培养系统中同时存在AId 6c5和天花粉蛋白(其剂量能引起体外二次抗体应答),则可出现某种程度的抑制。由于AId 6c5是单克隆抗体,提示一种AId能在不同情况下起刺激或抑制作用。3.应用竞争结合试验阐明AId 6c5除和TE 1外,还和另外两个单抗——TE 4(IgE)和2 A1(IgG1)——起反应,先前的工作证明这三个单抗和另外4个单抗都识别天花粉蛋白上的同一抗原决定簇。但AId 6c5对识别这同一决定簇的其余4个单抗反应很弱。以上说明a.IgE和其它Ig类别具有共同或交叉的独特型,b.也说明识别同一决定簇的IgE具有不同的独特型。4.将TE 1等三个单抗和AId 6c5预先作用后能抑制这三个单抗和天花粉蛋白的结合,说明AId 6c5所识别的独特型,位于抗原结合部位内,至少??是很靠近抗原结合部位的。     

A highly conserved interspecies V(H) in the human genome

Idiotype conservation between human and mouse antibodies has been observed in association with various infectious and autoimmune diseases. We have isolated a human anti-idiotypic antibody to a mouse monoclonal anti-IgE antibody (BSW17) suggesting a conserved interspecies idiotype associated with an anti-IgE response. To find the homologue of BSW17 in the human genome we applied the guided selection strategy. Combining V(H) of BSW17 with a human V(L) repertoire resulted in three light chains. The three V(L) chains were then combined with a human V(H) repertoire resulting in three clones specific for human IgE. Surprisingly, one clone, Hu41, had the same epitope specificity and functional in vitro activity as BSW17 and V(H) complementarity-determining regions identical with that of BSW17. Real-time PCR analysis confirmed the presence of the Hu41 V(H) sequence in the human genome. These data document the first example of the isolation of a human antibody where high sequence similarity to the original murine V(H) sequence is associated with common antigen and epitope specificity.     

一种抗AIV共有独特型抗体具有AIV血凝素分子的内影象

用纯化的鸡抗禽流感病毒(AIV)IgG作免疫原,通过单克隆抗体技术制备出1株分泌针对鸡抗AIV和兔抗AIV共有独特型抗体的杂交瘤细胞。竞争抑制试验、特异性检验和诱导产生血凝抑制抗体的功能实验证明,此抗体具有AIV血凝素分子的内影象。     

Effects of mutation at the D-JH junction on affinity, specificity, and idiotypy of anti-progesterone antibody DB3

The crystal structures of the Fab' fragment of the anti-progesterone monoclonal antibody DB3 and its complexes with steroid haptens have shown that the D-JH junctional residue TrpH100 is a key contributor to binding site interactions with ligands. The indole group of TrpH100 also undergoes a significant conformational change between the bound and unliganded states, effectively opening and closing the combining site pocket. In order to explore the effect of substitutions at this position on steroid recognition, we have carried out mutagenesis on a construct encoding a three-domain single-chain fragment (VH/K) of DB3 expressed in Escherichia coli. TrpH100 was replaced by 13 different amino acids or deleted, and the functional and antigenic properties of the mutated fragments were analyzed. Most substitutions, including small, hydrophobic, hydrophilic, neutral, and negatively charged side chains, were reduced or abolished binding to free progesterone, although binding to progesterone-BSA was partially retained. The reduction in antigen binding was paralleled by alteration of the idiotype associated with the DB3 combining site. In contrast, the replacement of TrpH100 by Arg produced a mutant that retained wild-type antibody affinity and idiotype, but with altered specificity. Significant changes in this mutant included increased relative affinities of 10(4)-fold for progesterone-3-carboxymethyloxime and 10-fold for aetiocholanolone. Our results demonstrate an essential role for the junctional residue H100 in determining steroid-binding specificity and combining site idiotype and show that these properties can be changed by a single amino acid substitution at this position.     

Dendritic cells: Potential role in cancer therapy

Dendritic cells (DC) are extremely potent antigen presenting cells, uniquely capable of sensitizing naive T cells to protein antigens and eliciting antigen specific immune responses. Studies of human DC isolated from peripheral blood indicate that these cells can be used to stimulate and expand antigen specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, in vitro. On the basis of these findings we have initiated pilot clinical studies to investigate the ability of DC pulsed ex vivo with tumor associated proteins to stimulate host anti-tumor immunity when re-infused as a vaccine. In the first such study DC pulsed with tumor derived idiotype protein were infused into patients with low grade malignant B cell lymphoma who had failed conventional chemotherapy. The majority of treated patients developed T cell mediated anti-idiotype immune responses and some of the patients experienced tumor regression. These results suggest that DC based immunotherapy is a potentially useful approach to B cell lymphoma and raises the possibility that the approach may prove useful in the treatment of other tumors as well. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Characteristics of the binding of human C-reactive protein (CRP) to laminin

Human CRP binds to the basement membrane protein laminin in vitro in a Ca2+-dependent manner via the phosphorylcholine (PC) binding site of C-reactive protein (CRP). The binding was saturable at a molar ratio of 4 (CRP/laminin). The specificity of the binding was shown by inhibition of binding of labeled CRP to laminin by unlabeled CRP, but not by human IgG. Specific binding was optimal in the presence of 5 mM Ca2+, but did not occur in the absence of Ca2+ or in the presence of EDTA. The binding of Ca2+ to CRP causes a conformational change in the molecule, which is required for binding to PC and to laminin. The PC binding site of CRP was implicated in the binding to laminin on the basis of inhibition by both soluble PC and anti-idiotypic mAbs directed to the TEPC-15 PC-binding idiotype found on mouse antibodies to PC. In addition, mouse mAbs specific for the CRP PC binding site displayed decreased reactivity with CRP already bound to laminin. The binding of CRP to laminin provides a possible explanation for selective deposition of CRP at inflamed sites. The CRP-laminin interaction may serve as a means of concentrating CRP at sites of tissue damage so that the CRP might function as a ligand for leukocytes, an event that will result in removal of necrotic tissue and cell debris.     

Attack on neoplastic cell membranes by therapeutic antibody

Mouse monoclonal antibody is not well fitted to destroying tumour cell targets. Complement and cellular effectors are inefficiently recruited, the cells can undergo antigenic modulation, antigen-negative mutants can arise, and the tumour-bearing subject can amount an immune response against the therapeutic antibody.This paper describes the preparation of two chimeric antibody derivatives designed to cirvumvent some of these problems. The first derivative is FabFc, prepared by linking Fab' from monoclonal antibody to Fc from human IgG. The bismaleimide linking agent forms a thioether bond with an SH group released by reduction of SS bonds in the hinge of each constituent. The second derivative is bisFabFc, formed by a bismaleimide in this case joining two FabFc molecules via a free SH in the Fc hinge of each. As regards antibody activity against target cells bisFabFc can be univalent (one active, one inactive Fab arm), bivalent, or bispecific (with each Fab arm directed against a different cell surface antigen). Its juxtaposed dual Fc regions are designed to promote cooperative binding of effectors.Some preliminary characterization in vitro has employed antibodies of anti-idiotypic specificity directed against guinea-pig L₂C leukaemic B lymphocytes. The parent mouse IgG1 antibody failed to invoke complement cytotoxicity or antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, while the chimeric derivatives yielded good killing in both systems. In complement lysis bivalent bicFabFc outperformed univalent, which in turn outperformed the FabFc monomer.     

Structural determinants of the human idiotype HibId-1.

The human antibody response to the capsular polysaccharide of Haemophilus influenzae type b is predominated by antibodies expressing a light-chain-associated idiotype designated HibId-1. HibId-1 is expressed by kappa light chains encoded by either the A2 or A18 variable region genes. In this report we use site-directed mutagenesis and molecular modeling to show that HibId-1 expression is determined by residues in the first and second complimentarity determining regions that are widely separated in the primary sequence, but closely juxtaposed by the tertiary folding of the mature light chain molecule. Of the known human light chains, only alleles of A2 and A18 encode these residues at these positions in their germline configuration. VIG10, a mouse monoclonal antibody of unknown specificity that expresses HibId-1, and 23F.2, an A2-utilizing Streptococcus pneumoniae 23F polysaccharide-specific human Fab fragment that lacks HibId-1, provide examples of the HibId-1 determinant both arising and being lost by somatic mutation. In addition, we show that the residues responsible for HibId-1 expression can be disassociated from those required for antigen binding.