IDENTIFICATION OF ANTIBODY EPITOPES IN THE CB-11 PEPTIDE OF BOVINE TYPE-II COLLAGEN RECOGNIZED BY SERA FROM ARTHRITIS-SUSCEPTIBLE AND ARTHRITIS-RESISTANT RHESUS-MONKEYS

Sera from eight rhesus monkeys that had been immunized with native bov ine type II collagen were tested for antibodies to cyanogen bromide pe ptides (CB peptides) of type IT collagen by Western blotting. The monk eys produced IgG antibodies to a number of different CB peptides, with five out of eight animals producing antibodies to the CB-11 peptide ( four arthritic, one non-arthritic). Antibody epitopes on the CB-11 pep tide of bovine type II collagen recognized by these sera were investig ated by epitope mapping. Peptides (8-mers overlapping by seven amino a cids) representing the CB-11 region were synthesised and the sera scre ened for binding to these peptides to determine areas of high IgG anti body binding to this region of type II collagen. The profiles obtained were not identical, though there were some epitopes that were commonl y recognized. Antibodies to one epitope, also present in human type II collagen, were found only in the sera of two animals with the severes t arthritis. The technique of epitope mapping has successfully identif ied a number of epitopes within the CB-11 peptide of type II collagen recognized by antibodies from bovine type II collagen-immunized monkey s. Studies on the relevance of responses to the identified epitopes ca n now be undertaken.