2',3'-CYCLIC NUCLEOTIDE 3'-PHOSPHODIESTERASE - A NOVEL CANDIDATE AUTOANTIGEN IN DEMYELINATING DISEASES

Autoaggressive T-cells specific for myelin proteins like proteolipid p rotein (PLP) and myelin basic protein (MBP) are thought to play a majo r role in the pathogenesis of demyelinating diseases of the central ne rvous system (CNS), 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase (CNPa se) is the third most abundant myelin protein in the CNS. Due to lack of supply with enough CNPase of sufficient purity its immunologic prop erties have not been studied yet. We subcloned a human CNPase cDNA and expressed human recombinant CNPase (rh-CNPase) in E. coli. Purificati on of the protein was achieved by Ni2+-chelating chromatography. Furth ermore we describe for the first time several rh-CNPase specific-T-cel l lines from a multiple sclerosis patient and a healthy control.