Experimental autoimmune peripheral neuritis induced in BALB/c mice by myelin basic protein-specific T cell clones.
In vivo adoptive transfer of CD4+ T helper cell type 1 clones reactive with autologous myelin basic protein (MBP) may initiate an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system called experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Although MBP is also a component of peripheral nervous system (PNS) myelin, previous studies have failed to demonstrate inflammation in the PNS induced by MBP-reactive T cells. Here, we report on two MBP-specific T cell clones that preferentially initiate inflammatory and demyelinating peripheral neuritis when adoptively transferred to syngeneic recipients. The MBP epitope recognized by these clones spans the junction of exons 6 and 7 and, therefore, is present in the 21- and 18.5-kD but not the 14- and 17-kD MBP isoforms, in which exon 5 is spliced to exon 7. The data suggest that MBP may be processed and presented differently in the central nervous system and PNS, and they provide evidence for MBP as a potential target for autoimmune reactions in the PNS.
Abromson-Leeman
S
S
Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
Bronson
R
R
Dorf
M E
ME
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000276:immunology*; D009444:Neuritis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000276:immunology*; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D010455:Peptides