Characterization of monoclonal antibodies with specificity for DNA and the synthetic polypeptide antigen (T,G)-A-L.

Because of evidence for structural similarity of variable region genes of anti-DNA and anti-(T,G)-A-L antibodies, polyspecific interactions of monoclonal anti-DNA and anti-(T,G)-A-L antibodies were investigated. Of 20 monoclonal antibodies from C57BL/10 mice with (T,G)-A-L binding, two bound DNA as determined by ELISA. In contrast, two of five anti-DNA monoclonal antibodies from MRL-lpr/lpr mice bound (T,G)-A-L. For both sets of antibodies, antigen binding was shown to be the activity of the same antibody by cross-inhibition studies. To determine whether such polyspecific antibodies were expressed during autoimmune disease, sera of autoimmune MRL-lpr/lpr mice were tested for anti-(T,G)-A-L activity. This analysis demonstrated minimal elevations of anti-(T,G)-A-L in comparison to BALB/c controls. These studies thus confirm predictions about the binding activity of anti-(T,G)-A-L and anti-DNA antibodies based on structural analysis of variable region genes. They further indicate, that while anti-(T,G)-A-L and anti-DNA antibodies may have overlapping specificity, polyspecific antibodies of this kind are not preferentially expressed during autoimmunity.

Duke Scholars

Author David Stephen Pisetsky Medicine, Rheumatology and Immunology