title: Autoimmune T cells: immune recognition of normal and variant peptide epitopes and peptide-based therapy.
abstract: Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) results from T helper (TH) cell recognition of myelin basic protein (MBP). We have characterized TH cell reactivity in B10.PL and PL/J (H-2u) mice to 39 N-terminal MBP peptide derivatives of different lengths and with individual amino acid substitutions. The peptide determinant of murine MBP can be divided into a minimal stimulatory core region (residues 1-6) and a tail region (residues 7-20) that alters the structure of the core region to affect both T cell recognition and MHC binding. Core recognition by B10.PL and PL/J mice is highly similar but in one case strain dependent. Peptide analogs that do not stimulate MBP-specific TH cells but bind to the I-Au molecule competitively inhibit T cell reactivity to MBP in vitro and prevent the induction of EAE in vivo.
authors: Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena 91125.
authors: J L
authors: JL
authors: Urban
authors: S J
authors: SJ
authors: Horvath
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Hood
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D000939:Epitopes / Q000032:analysis*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006825:Hybridomas / Q000276:immunology; D007167:Immunotherapy; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000276:immunology*; D010455:Peptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D010455:Peptides