T cell determinant structure of myelin basic protein in B10.PL, SJL/J, and their F1S.

Recent experiments have shown that during the course of chronic experimental allergic encephalomyelitis, there is a shift in the determinant hierarchy away from the dominant to other subdominant and cryptic self determinants. It was therefore of interest to define the pattern of dominance for mouse myelin basic protein in the three commonly used experimental allergic encephalomyelitis model strains of mice, i.e., B10.PL, SJL/J, and (SJL x B10.PL)F1. Our studies indicate that many cryptic determinants are demonstrable, which only activate T cells on injection as individual peptides and not with the native protein. The core amino acid residues of the various determinants are defined and range in size between 5 and 10 amino acids. Interestingly, there is a bias toward H-2u-restricted response vis-a-vis the H-2s-restricted response in the (SJL x B10.PL)F1 strain. The TCR V beta 8.2 gene segment was not predominantly used for responses to other determinants, although some B10.PL and (SJL x B10.PL)F1 cell lines expressed V beta 8.2 more than others. This study represents the most comprehensive analysis so far of the pattern of dominant and cryptic proliferative T cell determinants and their core sequences for mouse myelin basic protein.