Cloning and sequence analysis of cDNAs encoding the heavy and light chain variable regions of an Ab2 beta anti-idiotypic monoclonal antibody possessing an internal image of cocaine

We report here the cloning and sequence analysis of cDNAs encoding he varia ble regions of an Ab2 beta anti-idiotypic monoclonal antibody (K1-4c, gamma 1 kappa) that mimics the configuration of cocaine. The Ab2 beta specificall y binds to the human dopamine transporter as shown by confocal immunofluore scence microscopy. The sequence of the heavy chain complementarity-determin ing region 3 of K1-4c is strikingly similar to that of a monoclonal antibod y (F11.2.32) specific for HIV-1 protease. Three or four amino acids in the epitope recognized by the anti-HIV-1 protease antibody are also present in the third extracellular loop of the dopamine transporter, This epitope is w ithin the conserved region of the known transporters for dopamine, norepine phrine and serotonin in Homo sapiens, Rattus norvegicus, Caenorhabditis ele gans and Drosophila melanogaster. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.