A comparison of the N-terminal amino acid sequences of early and late pools of anti-DNP and anti-DNP-p-aminobenzoylglutamate antibody light chains.

The N-terminal amino acid sequences of early and late pools of anti-DNP and anti-DNP-p-aminobenzoylglutamate (DNP-ABG) antibody light chains were quantitatively determined and compared. The amino acid composition at each locus of the N-terminal 20 amino acid residues of each light chain preparation was determined using automatic sequencing techniques coupled with high-pressure liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. The sequence data obtained for the light chains corresponding to antibodies isolated early in the immune response (3-4 weeks) were essentially the same as those for light chains from antibodies isolated late in the response (12-14 weeks). In addition, it was observed that the sequence data obtained for the anti-DNP antibody light chain preparation were almost identical to those found for two anti-DNP-ABG antibody light "hain preparations. The sequence data obtained in the present study were compared with those obtained for normal rabbit light chains and with the composite sequence data published for other rabbit anti-hapten light chains.