A single amino acid change in a myelin basic protein peptide confers the capacity to prevent rather than induce experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.
Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an experimental demyelinating disease of rodents. In (PL/J x SJL) F1 mice, it is induced by immunization with the myelin basic protein peptide Ac1-11. Ac1-11 [4A], a myelin basic protein peptide analog with a single amino acid substitution, (i) binds to class II major histocompatibility complex molecules and stimulates encephalitogenic T cells in vitro better than Ac1-11, (ii) is nonimmunogenic and nonencephalitogenic in vivo in (PL/J x SJL)F1 mice, (iii) prevents EAE when administered before or at the time of immunization with Ac1-11, and (iv) prevents EAE when administered later, near the time of disease onset. Initial studies suggest that Ac1-11 [4A] does not prevent EAE by competitive inhibition or by activation of regulatory cells. Thus, substitution of a single amino acid in a myelin basic protein peptide confers the capacity to prevent rather than induce EAE, even after peptide-specific encephalitogenic T cells have been activated.
Smilek
D E
DE
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, CA 94305.
Wraith
D C
DC
Hodgkinson
S
S
Dwivedy
S
S
Steinman
L
L
McDevitt
H O
HO
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology
D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D010455:Peptides