Myasthenogenicity of a human acetylcholine receptor alpha-subunit peptide: morphology and immunology.
Each of 10 rats inoculated with a synthetic peptide comprising residues 125-147 (without a disulfide bond) of human acetylcholine receptor (AChR) alpha-subunit (H alpha) had deposits of IgG and C3 (immune complexes) and showed morphological changes in the fine structure at the motor end-plates 5 weeks after a single immunization. Antibody to the H alpha peptides was elevated 1 week after immunization, but, antibody levels to solubilized human or rat AChR were very low in 8 of the 10 rats. These results suggest that the immune response to peptide H alpha is the myasthenogenic site, which induces morphological change at the end-plates.
First Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Japan.
H
H
Matsuo
M
M
Tsujihata
A
A
Satoh
G
G
Takeo
T
T
Yoshimura
S
S
Nagataki
D000818:Animals; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D007114:Immunization; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009045:Motor Endplate / Q000276:immunology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic
D000939:Epitopes; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; C066297:acetylcholine receptor alpha-subunit (125-148)