Molecular bases for the difference in the potency of myelin basic protein from different species in Lewis rats.

The results of this study define the chemical bases for the difference in the encephalitogenic potency reported for the bovine and guinea pig myelin basic proteins. Studies with synthetic peptides showed that the sequence of peptide S53, H-Ser-Gln-Arg-Ser-Gln-Asp-Glu-Asn-OH, which is native to the guinea pig basic protein, is the minimum amino acid sequence necessary for inducing EAE in Lewis rats. The results of this study further showed that specific sequence modifications rendered the native bovine sequence highly encephalitogenic.