SINGLE AMINO-ACID-ANALOGS OF A MYASTHENOGENIC PEPTIDE MODULATE SPECIFIC T-CELL RESPONSES AND PREVENT THE INDUCTION OF EXPERIMENTAL AUTOIMMUNE MYASTHENIA-GRAVIS

Peptide p259-271 of the human acetylcholine receptor alpha-subunit, pr eferentially stimulates T cells of patients with myasthenia gravis (MG ) and is an immunodominant epitope for T cells of BALB/c mice. A p259- 271 specific T cell line of BALB/c origin was established and was show n to induce experimental MG in naive mice. Seven analogs of p259-271 w ere synthesized, and two of them were found to inhibit the p259-271 sp ecific proliferative responses of the line and of p259-271 primed lymp h node cells, Moreover, the most efficient inhibitor, analog 262Lys, p revented the MG related manifestations in mice inoculated with the lin e, and might be of potential value for the treatment of MG. (C) 1998 E lsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.