Ml. Zhao et Rb. Fritz, THE IMMUNE-RESPONSE TO A SUBDOMINANT EPITOPE IN MYELIN BASIC-PROTEIN EXON-2 RESULTS IN IMMUNITY TO INTRAMOLECULAR AND INTERMOLECULAR DOMINANT EPITOPES, Journal of neuroimmunology, 61(2), 1995, pp. 179-184
Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis was induced in SJL/J mice by
adoptive transfer of a MBP exon-2 peptide-specific T cell line. The T
cell line, when tested for antigen specificity, reacted strongly with
exon-2 peptide, but not with MBP peptides pAcl-11, p43-88, p89-101 or
PLP p139-151. The specificity of splenic or lymph node T cells isolat
ed from mice with acute or first relapse EAE induced by adoptive trans
fer of the exon-2-specific T cell line was identical to the transferre
d line. Splenocytes or lymphocytes isolated from mice at the second re
lapse were reactive with MBP p43-88, p89-101 and PLP p139-151 in addit
ion to exon-2 peptide and MBP peptide Acl-11. T cell lines selected by
culture with MBP exon-2 peptide or PLP p139-151 from splenic cells fr
om mice with relapsing EAE were weakly encephalitogenic; however, T ce
ll lines selected from the same mice with MBP pAcl-11 were not encepha
litogenic. T cells from the exon-2 and p139-151 T cell lines primed re
cipients for rapid onset severe EAE, whereas the pAcl-11 T cell line d
id not. T cells from the exon-2-specific line did not express V(beta)1
7a(+) TCR; however, peptide-specific T cell lines derived from the spl
eens of relapsing animals did express this TCR gene segment providing
direct evidence of recruitment and sensitization of recipient T cells.