Electrophoretic Studies of Basic Proteins Capable of Inducing Experimental Allergic Neuritis

Abstract

A basic protein fraction capable of inducing experimental allergic neuritis was isolated from peripheral nervous tissues of ox and rabbit. The electrophoretic mobility was lower than that of lysozyme at pH 4.2 and 8.2. The yield was approximately 0.1 g per cent of fresh tissue weight.

Myelin

“…Although the isolated protein is indistinguishable from CNS MBP , it is quite apparent that its organization within the PNS myelin membrane is quite different from its counterpart in the CNS. Isolated PI protein can also cause EAE when injected with CFA into test animals (Kiyota and Egami, 1972;, but appears to be nonencephalitogenic when present in PNS myelin. Injection of PNS myelin into rabbits , monkeys , and rats (Kadlubowski and Hughes, 1979) results in EAN, not EAE.…”

“…Early studies using a variety of basic protein preparations from peripheral nerve failed to give definite evidence of neuritogenic activity (Bencina et al, 1969;Kiyota and Egami, 1972;Uyemura et al, 1972;Abramsky et al, 1975b). The diseas,e observed in these early studies was often difficuh to assess, in part due to the' contamination of these early preparations with PI basic protein, which is encephalitogenic (see Section II.C).…”

Cell-mediated immunity in idiopathic polyneuritis

“…Demyelinating capacity was present in the majority Of acute IP studied but was not found in recovered cases. The buffv coat cells 'The basic protein of peripheral nerve has been named P2 in the United States [28], P,L in Israel [14], and BF in Japan [22]. The encephalitogenic basic protein of the central nervous system -(CNS-BP) is also present in the peripheral nervous system; when isolated from peripheral nerve, it has been designated P1 in the United States.…”

“…The possibility that more than one type of immune response may be occurring concurrently in IP is only now beginning to be investigated. Isolation and purification of P2 protein [14,22,281, as discussed earlier, coupled with the demonstration that it is a neuritogenic factor, prompted us to look for antibodies against P2 protein in sera of EAN animals and patients with IP and CRIP. Antibodies against P2 occurred consistently in the sera of animals immunized with P2.…”

“…Recently, a basic protein (P2)" found predominantly in peripheral nerve myelin has been isolated and characterized [14,22,28]. P2 has been proved to be neuritogenic and to cause experimental allergic neuritis (EAN) in animals injected with this material in Freund's complete adjuvant.…”