The complete amino acid sequence of the rabbit P2 protein

P2 protein is a small basic protein (Mr = 14,820) found in peripheral nerve myelin and spinal cord myelin. There is now overwhelming evidence that P2 protein is the crucial antigen involved in the induction of experimental allergic neuritis, an autoimmune disease of the peripheral nervous system. The complete amino acid sequence of rabbit P2 protein was derived by sequence analysis of cyanogen bromide peptides and peptides obtained by proteolysis using Staphylococcus aureus V8 enzyme, trypsin, or clostripain. There are 131 amino acids and an excess of the basic amino acids lysine and arginine; histidine is absent. There are 3 highly hydrophobic regions in the P2 molecule. Probability analysis of the sequence predicts a high degree of beta structure, essentially in agreement with CD data.