title: Myelin proteolipid protein: minimum sequence requirements for active induction of autoimmune encephalomyelitis in SWR/J and SJL/J mice.
abstract: Proteolipid protein (PLP) is the major protein constituent of mammalian central nervous system myelin. We have previously identified two different PLP encephalitogenic T cell epitopes in two mouse strains. Murine PLP peptides 103-116 YKTTICGKGLSATV and 139-151 HCLGKWLGHPDKF are encephalitogenic determinants in SWR/J (H-2q) and SJL/J (H-2s) mice, respectively. The purpose of the present study was to determine the minimum sequence requirements for each of these PLP encephalitogens. In SWR/J mice, at least two distinct overlapping peptides can induce experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). The eleven residue sequences PLP 105-115 TTICGKGLSAT and PLP 106-116 TICGKGLSATV are encephalitogenic in SWR/J mice, but PLP 106-115 TICGKGLSAT, the decapeptide indigenous to both sequences, is non-encephalitogenic. In contrast, the shortest PLP sequence capable of inducing EAE in SJL/J mice is the nonapeptide 141-149 LGKWLGHPD. These data indicate that encephalitogenic determinants of PLP are short contiguous peptide sequences similar in length and diversity to those of MBP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, E.K. Shriver Center, Waltham, MA.
authors.forename: V K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Tuohy
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Sobel
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Laursen
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Lees
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009185:Myelin Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D018991:Myelin Proteolipid Protein
chemical_list: D009185:Myelin Proteins; D018991:Myelin Proteolipid Protein