“…When SJL/J mice are immunized with an equimolar mixture of nonacylated encephalitogenic peptides PLP 139 -151 and PLP 178 -191 , responses to both peptides are equally strong (10,23). By contrast, if EAE is induced by immunization of SJL/J mice with whole spinal cord homogenate, which contains many potential autoantigens (4,10,(43)(44)(45), including PLP with covalently attached fatty acids, the dominant immune response is to PLP 139 -151 (46). Additionally, if EAE is induced in SJL/J mice with another autoantigen such as MBP, or if these mice are infected with Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus and allowed to recover, PLP 139 -151 is the first new epitope against which autoreactivity subsequently develops (47,48).…”