title: Myelin protein expression is increased in lymph nodes of mice with relapsing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.
abstract: Myelin proteins had been thought to be sequestered behind the blood-brain barrier. Recently, however, myelin proteins have been found to be expressed in lymphoid tissues. The myelin basic protein (MBP) gene is embedded within a larger transcription unit called the golli-MBP gene. This larger gene encodes both the "classic" MBPs as well as the structurally related golli-MBPs. In this study, golli-MBP expression in lymph nodes was examined in four different models of relapsing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (rEAE). Disease in these rEAE models was induced by the adoptive transfer of T lymphocytes specific for 18.5-kDa MBP, MBP peptide 83-102, or PLP peptide 139-151 in the SJL/J mouse and the adoptive transfer of T lymphocytes specific for MBP peptide Ac1-9 in the (SJL/J x PL/J)F1 mouse. In all four models, expression of golli-MBP BG21 mRNA was increased two- to fivefold in lymph nodes of mice 45 to 60 days post-transfer. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated that expression occurred principally in macrophages within lymph nodes. Endogenous golli-MBP epitopes within lymph node cells stimulated "classic" MBP 1-44-specific T lymphocytes, and this stimulatory ability resided within the adherent lymph node cell population. An increase in myelin protein expression within lymph nodes during rEAE has implications with regard to intra- and intermolecular epitope spreading. This is the first report describing an increase in target autoantigen expression within lymphoid tissue during an autoimmune disease.
authors.affiliation: Reed Neurological Research Center, UCLA Department of Neurology, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: MacKenzie-Graham
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Pribyl
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: V R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Porter
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Campagnoni
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Voskuhl
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D012008:Recurrence
chemical_list: D001324:Autoantigens; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein