PERIPHERIN - AN ISLET ANTIGEN THAT IS CROSS-REACTIVE WITH NONOBESE DIABETIC MOUSE CLASS-II GENE-PRODUCTS

The nonobese diabetic (NOD) mouse, in which major histocompatibility complex genes may be involved in the susceptibility to diabetes, has been developed as a model of autoimmune diabetes. The NOD mouse expresses I-A-encoded class II major histocompatibility complex antigens, which differ from those of other mouse haplotypes by the presence of a serine at position 57 of the A(beta) chain. Identifying islet autoantigens may help elucidate the role of class II antigens in the activation of autoreactive T cells and, thus, in the development of diabetes. We have detected autoantibodies directed against a 58-kDa islet cell antigen in NOD mice but not in other strains, including lupus-prone mice. Apart from insulin-secreting cells; the 58-kDa antigen was only found to be expressed by neuroblastoma cells and was identified as peripherin, an intermediate filament protein previously characterized in well-defined neuronal populations. This autoantigen cross-reacted with I-A(nod) class II antigens, suggesting that it may contribute to defective self-tolerance of islet beta-cells in the NOD mouse.