HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Whitaker, J. N. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Whitaker, J. N.

The Antigenicity of Myelin Encephalitogenic Protein: Production of Antibodies to Encephalitogenic Protein with Deoxyribonucleic Acid—Encephalitogenic Protein Complexes¹

From the Memphis Veterans Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38104, and The Department of Neurology, The University of Tennessee Center for the Health Sciences, Memphis, Tennessee

Abstract

Rabbits immunized with monkey encephalitogenic protein (EP) complexed to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) formed complement-fixing antibodies that reacted well with EP from monkey, bovine, and human brain and the large EP of rat brain. Reactivity with the small EP of rat brain was much less. The antibodies, analyzed by the quantitative micro-complement fixation test, were of the 7S class, were produced in high titer, and failed to react with histone, lysozyme, or acidic liver extracts. Immunohistochemical studies revealed that the antibodies bound to central nervous system white matter from human, rat, guinea pig, and mouse as well as human peripheral nerve myelin. These findings demonstrate that the immunogenicity of EP is greatly enhanced by attachment to DNA and perhaps other negatively charged molecules. This method makes available anti-EP with which to investigate immunochemically the antigenic and conformational features of EP.

Footnotes

¹ This research was supported by the Veterans Administration and by Grant 903-A-1 from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

² Clinical Investigator with the Veterans Administration.