Human S-antigen: presence of multiple immunogenic and immunopathogenic sites in the Lewis rat.
To identify the immunogenic and immunopathogenic sites present in human S-Antigen (S-Ag), 40 overlapping peptides that span the whole length of the S-Ag molecule were synthesized and tested in the Lewis rat model of experimental autoimmune uveitis. The most pathogenic sequences were 180-200, 340-360 and 350-370. Ten peptide sequences were identified that induced visible inflammation in the eye. A total of 23 peptides gave an in-vitro proliferative response following immunization in animals. The ability to generate an immune response was not linked to the pathogenic capacity of the sequence. The most pathogenic sequence, 340-360, was only weakly proliferative. Peptide 180-200 and peptide 340-360 gave higher T-cell proliferative responses, but these were lower than the maximal proliferative response observed with non-pathogenic sequences. In animals immunized with whole S-Ag, the majority of the determinants did not elicit a proliferative response, indicating that in S-Ag, the majority of the immunogenic determinants are cryptic and are not presented by the APC located in the lymph nodes.
de Smet
M D
MD
Laboratory of Immunology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
Bitar
G
G
Roberge
F G
FG
Gery
I
I
Nussenblatt
R B
RB
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D019393:Arrestin; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D002417:Cattle; D000939:Epitopes / Q000032:analysis; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D015866:Uveitis, Posterior / Q000276:immunology*; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000276:immunology
D000941:Antigens; D019393:Arrestin; D000939:Epitopes; D005136:Eye Proteins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic