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Maintenance of antigen‐specific immunological memory through variable regions of heavy and light chains of anti‐idiotypic antibody
Author(s) -
Vani J.,
Nayak R.,
Shaila M. S.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.297
H-Index - 133
eISSN - 1365-2567
pISSN - 0019-2805
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2567.2006.02519.x
Subject(s) - antigen , antibody , biology , idiotype , immune system , memory b cell , immunology , b 1 cell , naive b cell , b cell , t cell , virology , monoclonal antibody , antigen presenting cell
Summary Immunological memory is characterized by a quick and enhanced immune response after re‐exposure to the same antigen. To explain the mechanism involved in generation and maintenance of immunological memory, we had earlier proposed a hypothesis involving the relay of memory by idiotypic and anti‐idiotypic B cells. The peptidomimic present in the hypervariable region of anti‐idiotypic antibody was hypothesized to carry forward immunological memory. In the present work, we provide evidence supporting a role for the anti‐idiotypic antibody in eliciting antigen‐specific B‐cell and T‐cell responses. Employing the idiotypic monoclonal antibody (Ab 1 ) specific for haemagglutinin (H) protein of rinderpest virus, Ab 2β was generated, which possesses an internal image of the H protein in the region between amino acids 527 and 556. We demonstrate that antigen‐specific memory is perpetuated by immunization with Ab 2 , as shown by maintenance of antigen‐specific T‐cell responses upon restimulation in vitro of Ab 2 immune splenocytes by antigen‐presenting cells expressing H protein or pulsed with H‐protein‐derived peptides. We have also shown that boosting with antigen‐specific anti‐idiotypic B cells generates a memory response in antigen‐primed mice. Evidence has been provided for the existence of an antigen‐specific B‐cell idiotypic network in the body that supports the perpetuation of immunological memory as proposed in the relay hypothesis.