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-2bm12 and H-2b mice. Despite only minor differences in TCRVbeta expression and fine epitope specificity, H-2bm12/ and H-2b/prMOG35-55-specific T-cells failed to recognize Ab/prMOG35-55 and Abm12/prMOG35-55, respectively. rhMOG-induced EAE was milder in H-2bm12 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-2b mice.