A T cell epitope for experimental allergic neuritis

A synthetic peptide representing residues 57–81 of the bovine P 2 protein produced severe paralytic experimental allergic neuritis (EAN) in Lewis rats. Peptide 57–81 could also be used to stimulate a P 2 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 α-helical structures.