Early high-affinity neutralizing anti-viral IgG responses without further overall improvements of affinity.

Journal article

Affinity maturation of IgG antibodies in adaptive immune responses is a well-accepted mechanism to improve effector functions of IgG within 2 weeks to several months of antigen encounter. This concept has been defined mainly for IgG responses against chemically defined haptens. We have evaluated this concept in a viral system and analyzed neutralizing IgG antibody responses against vesicular stomatitis virus (a close relative of rabies virus) with a panel of monoclonal antibodies obtained early (day 6 or 12) and late (day 150) after hyperimmunization. These neutralizing IgG antibodies recognize a single major antigenic site with high affinities (Ka of 10(8)-10(10) liter.mol-1) and with rapid on-rates already on day 6 of a primary response and with no evidence for further antigen dose- and time-dependent overall improvement of affinity. This type of IgG response is probably representative for viruses or bacterial toxins which are crucially controlled by neutralizing antibodies.

Authors: Roost, H; Bachmann, M; Haag, A; Kalinke, U; Pliska, V

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
• Volume: 92
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 1257-1261
• Publication date: 1995-02-01
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.92.5.1257
• EISSN: 1091-6490
• ISSN: 0027-8424
• Language: English
• Keywords: Membrane Glycoproteins; Antibody Affinity; Kinetics; Vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus; Neutralization Tests; Immunoglobulin G; Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments; Rats; Time Factors; Genes, Immunoglobulin; Antibodies, Viral; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Viral Proteins; Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; Animals; Antigens, Viral; Mice; Epitope Mapping