Multiple Encephalitogenic Peptides of Myelin Basic Protein in A.CA Mice

Experimental allergic encephalmomyclitis (EAE) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. It is mediated by T cells and is an animal model for the human disease multiple sclerosis. In most mouse strains that are susceptible to induction of EAE by myclin basic protein, a dominant peptide of myclin basic protein is recognized by encephalitogenic T cells. We report here the susceptibility of the A.CA strain (II-2′) to myclin basic protein induced EAE and that multiple peptides of myclin basic (1-11, 9-20, and 87-99) can induce disease in these mice. The finding that multiple epitopes of the same self-antigen can elicit EAE in an inbred strain of mouse raised the possibility of more heterogeneity in encephalitogenic peptides of the putative autoantigen in human disease than previous studies have suggested.