PRODUCTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF MONOCLONAL ANTIIDIOTYPIC ANTIBODIES TO MURAMYLPEPTIDE

Hybridomas producing monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibodies (anti-id MAbs) to N-acetylglucosaminyl-beta 1-4-N-acetylmuramyl-alanyl-D-isoglutamine (GMDP) were developed. Three clones of hybridomas demonstrated the properties characteristic for the Ab2 beta type of anti-id antibody: they bound to Fab-fragments of high-affinity MAb to GMDP; dose-dependent inhibition of this binding by GMDP was observed; immunization of mice with these MAbs resulted in production of GMDP-specific antibodies. When these antibodies were used to stain blots from SDS-PAGE of macrophage lysate, the same receptor proteins were specifically stained as upon staining with I-125-labelled GMDP derivative.