Autoantibodies and CD4 T cells target a beta cell retroviral envelope protein in non-obese diabetic mice

Int Immunol. 2003 Dec;15(12):1473-83. doi: 10.1093/intimm/dxg143.

Abstract

We determined that, over a biologic time interval, from 4 to 8 weeks of age, female non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice develop antibodies against pancreatic beta-cell-surface antigens depending upon the presence of both the MHC class II susceptibility allele, I-A(g7), and other NOD background genes. We generated a mAb from a pre-diabetic NOD mouse that binds to the surface of insulinoma cells and isolated mouse beta cells, and identified the target as a retroviral envelope glycoprotein expressed on pancreatic beta cells. The cloned and expressed sequence for this protein was recognized by the mAb. The antibody as well as sera from pre-diabetic NOD mice recognized the recombinant protein. Spontaneous T cell reactivity against a peptide from the cloned protein was found in NOD mice. In conclusion, a beta cell retroviral envelope protein is a target antigen that is selected by the NOD mouse immune system early in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diabetes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adoptive Transfer
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / immunology
  • Antibody Specificity / immunology
  • Autoantibodies / genetics
  • Autoantibodies / immunology*
  • Autoantibodies / metabolism
  • Autoantigens / genetics
  • Autoantigens / immunology
  • Autoantigens / isolation & purification
  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • Blotting, Western
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / drug effects
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Clone Cells / immunology
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / genetics
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / immunology*
  • Female
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
  • Gene Expression
  • Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / immunology
  • Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / metabolism
  • Islets of Langerhans / chemistry
  • Islets of Langerhans / immunology*
  • Kinetics
  • Lymphocyte Activation / immunology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred NOD
  • Mice, SCID
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Peptide Library
  • Peptides / immunology
  • Peptides / metabolism
  • Peptides / pharmacology
  • Precipitin Tests
  • Protein Binding / immunology
  • Retroviridae Proteins / genetics
  • Retroviridae Proteins / immunology*
  • Retroviridae Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Viral Envelope Proteins / genetics
  • Viral Envelope Proteins / immunology
  • Viral Envelope Proteins / isolation & purification

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Autoantibodies
  • Autoantigens
  • Histocompatibility Antigens Class II
  • Peptide Library
  • Peptides
  • Retroviridae Proteins
  • Viral Envelope Proteins