Anti-inulin [beta-(2 leads to 1)-linked polyfructose] and anti-grass levan [beta-(2 leads to 6)-linked polyfructose] antibody response in mice

Anti-inulin [beta-(2 --> 1) polyfructosan Brucella abortus (InuBA)] and anti-grass levan [beta-(2 --> 6) polyfructosan] antibody responses in BALB/c and C57BL mice and in their F(1) and backcross progeny, as well as in immunoglobulin congenic and Bailey recombinant inbred strains derived from BALB/c and C57BL mice, were examined. The anti-inulin antibodies could accommodate both beta-(2 --> 1)- and beta-(2 --> 6)-linked polyfructosans, and 97% of the anti-inulin plaque-forming cells (PFC) from BALB/c mice expressed the cross-reactive idiotypes (InuIdX) shared by the BALB/c inulin- and levan-binding myeloma proteins. Of the C57BL mice, only 25% produced high anti-inulin response, and none exhibited the InuIdX of BALB/c anti-inulin antibodies. The percentages of InuIdX(+) anti-inulin PFC were also examined in other strains with high anti-inulin response. In C58 and AL mice, 80% of anti-inulin PFC were InuIdX(+), whereas in A/He and RIII mice, only 40% were InuIdX(+). All strains examined developed high anti-grass levan response, and the antibodies were specific for beta-(2 --> 6) structures and did not exhibit InuIdX. Comparison of the magnitude of the anti-inulin antibody titers in response to InuBA in BALB/c, C57BL, and their F(1) and backcross progeny, as well as in immunoglobulin congenic (i.e., B.C-8, BAB-14, and C.B-20) and recombinant inbred strains derived from BALB/c and C57BL mice, showed that all mice having the IgCH(a)(BALB/c) allotype gave high anti-inulin response. In addition to the InuIdX structural genes, the effects of allotype-linked or unlinked "regulatory" genes were also indicated by the lower anti-inulin response in B.C-8 and BAB-14 mice compared with BALB/c mice and the higher anti-inulin response in C.B-20 mice compared with C57BL mice. A multigene interaction in controlling the production of the anti-inulin antibodies was implicated.