Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis induced in B6.C-H-2bm12 mice by myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein: effect of MHC class II mutation on immunodominant epitope selection and fine epitope specificity of encephalitogenic T cells

The effect of the bm12 mutation on susceptibility to MOG-induced EAE, TCR repertoire and fine epitope specificity of the encephalitogenic T-cells, was assessed. prMOG35-55 was encephalitogenic for H-2 bm12 and H-2 b mice. Despite only minor differences in TCRVβ expression and fine epitope specificity, H-2 bm12 / and H-2 b /prMOG35-55-specific T-cells failed to recognize A b /prMOG35-55 and A bm12 /prMOG35-55, respectively. rhMOG-induced EAE was milder in H-2 bm12 mice, possibly as a result of co-dominant responses to prMOG35-55 and to the non-encephalitogenic pMOG94-116, rather than a single dominant response to prMOG35-55 in H-2 b mice.