T-lymphocyte recognition of a portion of myelin basic protein encoded by an exon expressed during myelination

The major isoform of myelin basic protein (MBP) in the healthy adult central nervous system is the 18.5-kDa protein which is produced by mRNA derived from exons 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the MBP gene. Since isoforms containing exon 2-encoded protein (X2MBP) are expressed during myelin formation, we examined T cell reactivity specific for X2MBP in a disease characterized by remyelination subsequent to demyelination, multiple sclerosis (MS). T cell lines specific for X2MBP were derived from three MS patients as well as one healthy control. This suggests that candidate autoantigens in demyelinating/remyelinating diseases should include not only the major isoforms of myelin proteins, but also isoforms expressed aberrantly during a disease process since they too may be the target of a T cell-mediated autoimmune process.