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Preparation and properties of monoclonal antibodies against cell surface polymorphic or allelic determinants: Their use in blood typing and the study of cell differentiation 1
Author(s) -
Longenecker B. Michael
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
animal blood groups and biochemical genetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.756
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1365-2052
pISSN - 0003-3480
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2052.1982.tb01584.x
Subject(s) - biology , antigen , monoclonal antibody , antibody , immunology , epitope , b cell , immunization , allele , major histocompatibility complex , genetics , gene
Summary B‐G alloantigens are encoded by a sublocus of the chicken MHC, are highly polymorphic, and restricted in their expression to the erythroid line of differentiation. B‐G antigens are highly immunogenic in both chickens and mice in which a ‘pre‐existing’ high background response against polymorphic determinants on B‐G exists. B‐G antigens represent a strong barrier to the maintenance of erythrocytic chimaerism unless tolerance is induced early in embryonic development. Chimaeras established during later embryonic development break tolerance, produce anti‐donor B‐G antibodies followed by autoimmunity, lymphomas and death. The early murine immune response is directed preferentially against polymorphic determinants of B‐G antigens as well as polymorphic determinants of several other antigenic systems. ‘Natural’ antibody and background antibody producing clones mostly recognize polymorphic determinants. Mice produce a strong, specific response against ‘Private’ polymorphic. determinants 3 days after immunization with a bacterium against which they have no background immunity. The amount of ‘crossreactivity’ increased with increased background immunity as well as with hyperimmunization. An awareness of the level of pre‐existing, background immunity is essential when designing immunization protocols for the production of monoclonal antibodies (MCA) to polymorphic determinants. MCA can serve as ‘ideal’ typing reagents but great care should be taken in defining the assay conditions for each MCA, as the apparent specificity of MCA can change with changes in assay conditions. MCA can also be used as powerful probes for the identification and purification of specific subpopulations of cells and for the study of their role in cell differentiation. In this review I will first describe an interesting genetic locus, called B‐G, which is part of the chicken major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and some interesting immunological characteristics of the antigens specified by this locus. I will then discuss some interesting and unusual aspects of the immune response in the mouse to these antigens as well as to other polymorphic antigen systems. This will lead into a description of our experiences of making monoclonal antibodies (MCA) against polymorphic antigen systems and their use as typing reagents. Finally, I will illustrate how MCA to polymorphic determinants can be used as powerful probes to identify specific subpopulations of cells bearing these determinants and to study cell differentiation.