Amino acid sequence of the heavy chain variable region from the A/J mouse antiarsonate monoclonal antibody 36-60 bearing a minor idiotype

Abstract
In addition to the predominant idiotype family (IdCR) associated with the murine A/J anti-azophenylarsonate response, a 2nd idiotype family (Id36-60) was defined on the basis of serologic cross-reactivity and amino acid sequence homology among monoclonal antibodies. The complete variable region amino acid sequence of the A/J IgG2a hybridoma protein 36-60 H chain was obtained by automated Edman degradation of the intact chain and fragments generated by cleavage with CNBr and by tryptic digestion of a succinylated CNBr peptide. A comparison of the Id36-60 H chain sequence to that of the IdCR H chain variable region reveals only 45% homology between them. Evidently, different genes encode the VH, D and JH gene-encoded sequences in the 2 idiotypes.