Identification of the encephalitogenic epitopes of CNS proteolipid protein in BALB/c mice.
It was previously shown that BALB/c mice were susceptible to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis induced by immunization with proteolipid protein (PLP). To determine the encephalitogenic epitopes of PLP in BALB/c mice, mice were immunized with successively smaller pools of 20-mer peptides spanning the PLP molecule from amino acid 30 to amino acid 206. Immunization with PLP(180-199) resulted in clinical EAE in 9/15 mice (mean max clinical score of 3.3), and immunization with PLP(185-206) induced clinical EAE in 7/21 BALB/c mice (mean maximum score of 3.7). No relapses in disease were observed. No EAE was observed in BALB/c mice immunized with PLP(185-199) (n=15), PLP(178-191) (n=13) or other regions of PLP (n=15). Passive transfer of PLP(180-199)-primed lymph node cells into nai;ve BALB/c mice resulted in EAE (2/2 mice, max score of 4.0). One-micron toluidine blue stained sections from the spinal cord of EAE-affected BALB/c mice revealed features typical of EAE in other strains, including mononuclear cell infiltration, myelin loss, and axonal loss.
Lyons
Jeri Anne
JA
Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA. lyons@neuro.wustl.edu
Ramsbottom
Michael J
MJ
Trotter
John L
JL
Cross
Anne H
AH
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000276:immunology*; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000276:immunology; D009187:Myelitis / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D011510:Proteolipids / Q000276:immunology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology
D016207:Cytokines; D000939:Epitopes; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D011510:Proteolipids