Identification of α-fodrin as an autoantigen in experimental coronavirus retinopathy (ECOR)

The coronavirus, mouse hepatitis virus (MHV), JHM strain induces a biphasic disease in BALB/c mice that consists of an acute retinitis followed by progression to a chronic retinal degeneration with autoimmune reactivity. Retinal degeneration resistant CD-1 mice do not develop either the late phase or autoimmune reactivity. A mouse RPE/choroid DNA expression library was screened using sera from virus infected BALB/c mice. Two clones were identified, villin-2 protein and α-fodrin protein. α-Fodrin protein was used for further analysis and western blot reactivity was seen only in sera from virus infected BALB/c mice. CD4 T cells were shown to specifically react with MHV antigens and with α-fodrin protein. These studies clearly identified both antibody and CD4 T cell reactivities to α-fodrin in sera from virus infected, retinal degenerative susceptible BALB/c mice.