Monoclonal Antibodies Specific for Sendai Virus

Abstract
The monoclonal antibodies A and B specific for the HN molecule of Sendai virus were used to induce polyclonal and monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibodies. No response was observed in allogeneic Lewis rats, low responses in syngeneic LOU rats, and high responses in allogeneic BN rats and xenogeneic Balb/c mice. The monoclonals A and B share a similar or identical idiotype, since polyclonal anti-idiotypic antisera to antibody A cross-reacted completely with antibody B and vice versa. The same was found with the three monoclonal anti-idiotypes 1,2, and 3 elicited in a BN rat or in Balb/c mice. None of the polyclonal or monoclonal anti-idiotypes reacted with other monoclonal antibodies specific for Sendai virus, even when these recognized the same epitope as antibodies A and B. The monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibodies could be used to induce anti-Sendai antibodies in BN rats.