T-lymphocyte recognition of a portion of myelin basic protein encoded by an exon expressed during myelination.
The major isoform of myelin basic protein (MBP) in the healthy adult central nervous system is the 18.5-kDa protein which is produced by mRNA derived from exons 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the MBP gene. Since isoforms containing exon 2-encoded protein (X2MBP) are expressed during myelin formation, we examined T cell reactivity specific for X2MBP in a disease characterized by remyelination subsequent to demyelination, multiple sclerosis (MS). T cell lines specific for X2MBP were derived from three MS patients as well as one healthy control. This suggests that candidate autoantigens in demyelinating/remyelinating diseases should include not only the major isoforms of myelin proteins, but also isoforms expressed aberrantly during a disease process since they too may be the target of a T cell-mediated autoimmune process.
Voskuhl
R R
RR
Neuroimmunology Branch, National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
McFarlin
D E
DE
Stone
R
R
McFarland
H F
HF
D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D000939:Epitopes; D005091:Exons; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000502:physiology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology
D000939:Epitopes; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein