Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein (MOG) Peptide

Introduction

Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein is a quantitatively minor component of central nervous system myelin. In contrast to other central nervous system proteins, myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein is found only in mammals and is highly conserved across species. At the same time, myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein is specifically expressed in the central nervous system and it is located on the outer surface of the myelin sheath and therefore exposed for antibody attack. It is an important central nervous system specific target autoantigen for primary demyelination in autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

Mechanism of action

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease of the central nervous system which is characterized by inflammation, axonal loss and demyelination and associated with autoaggressive T and B cell responses to various myelin proteins. At the same time, the demyelination immunopathogenesis in multiple sclerosis involves an autoantibody response to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein which is a type I transmembrane protein located at the surface of central nervous system myelin. Therefore, myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein was identified as a candidate autoantigen in multiple sclerosis because it induces a demyelinating antibody response in laboratory animals with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, an animal model of multiple sclerosis. Despite its important role as target antigen in encephalomyelitis and multiple sclerosis, the physiological function of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein is unknown. Some studies have been suggested that myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein acts as an adhesion or signaling molecule or as an activator of the complement cascade by binding the complement component C1q.

Application of Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein

Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein is a protein on the surface of myelin sheaths. It is a putative target of the autoimmune attack in the inflammatory and demyelinating central nervous system disease multiple sclerosis and its animal model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. More specifically, myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein is speculated to be “necessary” as an “adhesion molecule” on the myelin sheath of the central nervous system to provide the structural integrity of the myelin sheath. Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein’s cDNA coding region in humans have been shown to be “highly homologous” to rats, mice, and bovine, and hence highly conserved. This suggests “an important biological role for this protein”.

References

1. Carotenuto, A., D'Ursi, A. M., Nardi, E., Papini, A. M., & Rovero, P. (2001). Conformational analysis of a glycosylated human myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein peptide epitope able to detect antibody response in multiple sclerosis. Journal of medicinal chemistry, 44(14), 2378-2381.
2. Breithaupt, C., Schubart, A., Zander, H., Skerra, A., Huber, R., Linington, C., & Jacob, U. (2003). Structural insights into the antigenicity of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 100(16), 9446-9451.