V kappa gene usage, idiotype expression, and antigen binding among clones expressing the VHX24 gene family derived from naive and anti-idiotype immune BALB/c mice

The BALB/c myeloma protein ABPC48 binds beta(2-6)-linked fructosans and expresses genes derived from the VHX24 and V kappa 10 gene families. We have selected 30 hybridomas expressing the VHX24 gene family derived from mitogen-stimulated spleen cells of naive BALB/c mice and mice injected at birth with the syngeneic monoclonal anti-ABPC48Id, IDA10. The majority of mAb with kappa L chains uses V kappa 1. Antibodies reacting with IDA10 use both V kappa 10 and V kappa 1. Most of these VHX24+ mAb reacted with one or more members of a limited panel of predominantly polysaccharide Ag that have been previously observed to interact with antibodies expressing the VHX24 gene family. Nucleotide sequencing of selected VH and V kappa genes shows a very low frequency of somatic mutation. The effect of neonatal anti-Id injection on VHX24-V kappa pairing and Id expression is discussed.