Evidence for multiple human T cell recognition sites on myelin basic protein.

Myelin basic protein (BP)-specific T cell clones were used to study human T cell recognition sites on the BP molecule. Proliferation assays performed with a panel of xenogeneic BPs of known amino acid sequence and with large peptide fragments of human and guinea pig BPs demonstrated ten different patterns of reactivity. The data provide evidence for at least four different human T cell epitopes within the C-terminal half of the BP molecule, three within the N-terminal half, and three located within the central portion of the molecule. The results indicate that attempts to inhibit anti-BP responses in vivo in an antigen-specific manner will require the suppression of multiple T cell populations.