Therapeutic success of B cell-targeting approaches in multiple sclerosis (MS) has intensified research into the pathogenic and regulatory roles these cells play in demyelinating disease. Dissecting the function of B… Click to show full abstract
Therapeutic success of B cell-targeting approaches in multiple sclerosis (MS) has intensified research into the pathogenic and regulatory roles these cells play in demyelinating disease. Dissecting the function of B cells in the MS mouse model experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is largely confined to induction with either the myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein epitope MOG 35–55 or the full-length recombinant human MOG protein, the latter representing the most-used B cell-dependent EAE model. There is a clear need to investigate B cell function in additional myelin antigen contexts. Unlike MOG 35–55 , where lack of B cells yields more severe disease, we show here that the immunodominant myelin proteolipid protein epitope (PLP 178–191 ) elicited identical EAE in WT and μMT mice, suggesting an absence of B cell engagement by this peptide. We hypothesized that a longer PLP antigen may better engage B cells and designed a peptide encompassing the extracellular domains (ECD) of PLP. We demonstrate here that PLP ECD -immunized B cell-deficient mice failed to exhibit EAE. In contrast, PLP ECD induced EAE not only in WT mice, but in B cell-sufficient mice incapable of secreting antibodies, suggesting a predominant antigen presentation role. These results establish a novel, efficient B cell-dependent EAE model.
               
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