Antigenic determinants of bovine myelin encephalitogenic protein recognized by rabbit antibody to myelin encephalitogenic protein

J Biol Chem. 1975 Dec 10;250(23):9106-11.

Abstract

The antigenic determinants of bovine myelin encephalitogenic protein were investigated by quantitative complement fixation and hapten inhibition using rabbit anti-monkey protein and anti-bovine protein and purified and characterized fragments of bovine protein. The two regions of bovine encephalitogenic protein containing determinants were sequences 1 to 43 and 90 to 170. One rabbit antiserum recognized a determinant(s) probably in residues 15 to 40 while for another rabbit antiserum the determinant of 1 to 43 resided in 1 to 20. The determinant(s) of residues 90 to 170 involved the region around the tryptophan at position 116. Fragment 44-89, which contains the major encephalitogenic determinant for the rabbit, was virtually devoid of any reactivity with the rabbit anti-encephalitogenic protein. It appears that portions of the protein other than the encephalitogenic site are responsible for stimulation of bone marrow-derived cells and antibody production. In demonstrating selected regions of the protein as sites for antigenic determinants, the present immunochemical studies also suggest that the protein might have a more folded conformational alignment than previously suspected.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acids / analysis
  • Animals
  • Cattle
  • Complement Fixation Tests
  • Cyanogen Bromide
  • Epitopes*
  • Molecular Weight
  • Myelin Basic Protein* / immunology
  • Peptide Fragments / analysis
  • Rabbits / immunology
  • Species Specificity

Substances

  • Amino Acids
  • Epitopes
  • Myelin Basic Protein
  • Peptide Fragments
  • Cyanogen Bromide