The Section continues its work on the interaction of antigens with (monoclonal) antibodies. The elucidation of this interaction in great molecular detail is important since it pertains to all ligandprotein interactions. Thus, drug-receptor, effector-receptor as well as viral-receptor interactions may be clarified. We are pursuing: 1. Physics-chemical studies. 2. The synthesis of ligands for affinity labeling. 3. The synthesis of ligands for detailed group interaction-studies.. 4. The manipulation of immunoglobulin genes to produce specifically mutated genes expressing altered antibodies. 5. The study of immunodeterminants of bacteria causing significant diseases on a global scale so as to evaluate procedures for vaccine development. The results of these studies are that the interaction of dextran antigens with their monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), both intercatenary- and end-binders, have been mapped in great molecular detail. The work on the interaction of antigalactan MAbs with their determinants has been finished, except for the preparation of mutated antibody genes, which continues. Also continuing is the work on affinity labeling of monoclonal antibodies. Extensive work is underway on the mapping of MAbs to Shigella dysenteriae Type 1 in order to generate an effective vaccine for this globally significant disease. Finally, work on the interaction of the gpl2O of HIV with monocytes is continuing, and has led to a proposal of binary binding as a necessary prelude for infection.
