A T cell epitope for experimental allergic neuritis.

A synthetic peptide representing residues 57-81 of the bovine P2 protein produced severe paralytic experimental allergic neuritis (EAN) in Lewis rats. Peptide 57-81 could also be used to stimulate a P2 protein-specific T cell line to transfer paralytic EAN to naive recipient rats. A smaller peptide representing residues 60-81 produced a milder form of clinical disease. Residues 60-81 are the shortest peptide sequence thus far described which can produce clinical EAN. The structural predictions for the sequence represented by these peptides support the contention that T cell antigenic sites tend to be amphipathic alpha-helical structures.