Description |
The immunodominant myelin basic protein (MBP) peptide, comprising residues 87-99, is a self-antigen in multiple sclerosis (MS). In Lewis rats, this epitope induces experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system, and is a model of MS. Myelin basic protein (MBP) is a hydrophilic protein that may function to maintain the correct structure of myelin, interacting with the lipids in the myelin membrane by electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. Myelin basic protein (MBP) is the target of many post-translational modifications: It is N-terminally acetylated, methylated on an arginine residue, phosphorylated by various serine/threonine protein-kinases, and deamidated on some glutamine residues. |