Anti-idiotype as antibody against the formyl peptide chemotaxis receptor of the neutrophil.

Anti-idiotypic antibodies have been produced in mice, guinea pigs, and goat against rabbit antibodies to the chemoattractant f Met-Leu-Phe. The anti-idiotypic antibodies were demonstrated by their capacity in the presence of preimmune rabbit serum to block the binding of 125I anti-f Met-Leu-Phe to f Met-Leu-Phe-human transferrin absorbed to microtiter plates. Goat anti-idiotypic antibodies were further demonstrated by their ability, when absorbed to Staphylococcus aureus, to selectively bind 125I anti-f Met-Leu-Phe. In addition, some of the goat anti-idiotypic IgG was able to bind nearly all rabbit and rat anti-f Met-Leu-Phe antibodies examined. This was shown by 1) the ability of antibodies produced in rabbits immunized with either f Met-Leu-Phe conjugated to goat IgG or f Met-Leu-Phe conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) when adsorbed to S. aureus to bind the 125I F(ab')2 goat anti-idiotype, and 2) the ability of various rat anti-f Met-Leu-Phe antibodies to block the binding of 125I rabbit anti-f Met-Leu-Phe to goat anti-idiotype absorbed to S. aureus. Finally, goat anti-idiotypic antibodies can also cross-react with the receptor on the rabbit neutrophil for the formyl peptides as evidenced by 1) the direct binding of goat anti-idiotypic IgG to the PMN, 2) the ability of F(ab')2 fragments to goat anti-idiotype to partially inhibit the binding of f Met-Leu-(3H)Phe to rabbit PMN, and 3) loss of anti-idiotype and anti-PMN receptor activity after passage over an anti-f Met-Leu-Phe column. These data support Jerne's hypothesis of "internal image" and suggest a feasible experimental approach for producing anti-cell receptor antibody without purifying the receptor.