title: Sequence determinants of modified cobra venom neurotoxin which induce immune resistance to experimental allergic encephalomyelitis: molecular mechanisms for immunologic action.
abstract: A nontoxic, iodoacetamide-modified cobratoxin derivative (CAM-NTX) induced resistance to experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) in guinea pigs. Resistance was retained after trypsin digestion and shown to reside in N-terminal and central peptides of CAM-NTX. A similarly modified protein cardiotoxin (CAM-CTX), representative of proteins homologous with cobratoxin, was not immunosuppressive. Depressed clinical symptoms in EAE-resistant animals correlated with reduced lymphocytic infiltration of the brain. Antibody to myelin basic protein (MBP) was reduced in immunosuppressed animals. The immunoinhibitory determinants in CAM-NTX may mimic immune response suppressor proteins (SIRS-alpha 7) and the EAE-resistance region of MBP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicinal and Biological Chemistry, University of Toledo, Ohio 43606, USA.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Hinman
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stevens-Truss
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schwarz
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Hudson
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D004546:Elapid Venoms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000276:immunology; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D004546:Elapid Venoms; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D009498:Neurotoxins