Histones play vital roles in chromatin function and gene transcription; however, they are very harmful in the intercellular space because they stimulate systemic inflammatory and toxic responses. Myelin basic protein (MBP) is the major protein of the axon myelin-proteolipid sheath. Antibodies-abzymes with various catalytic activities are specific features of some autoimmune diseases. IgGs against individual histones (H2A, H1, H2B, H3, and H4) and MBP were isolated from the blood of experimental-autoimmune-encephalomyelitis-prone C57BL/6 mice by several affinity chromatographies. These Abs-abzymes corresponded to various stages of EAE development: spontaneous EAE, MOG, and DNA-histones accelerated the onset, acute, and remission stages. IgGs-abzymes against MBP and five individual histones showed unusual polyreactivity in the complex formation and enzymatic cross-reactivity in the specific hydrolysis of the H2A histone. All the IgGs of 3-month-old mice (zero time) against MBP and individual histones demonstrated from 4 to 35 different H2A hydrolysis sites. The spontaneous development of EAE over 60 days led to a significant change in the type and number of H2A histone hydrolysis sites by IgGs against five histones and MBP. Mice treatment with MOG and the DNA-histone complex changed the type and number of H2A hydrolysis sites compared to zero time. The minimum number (4) of different H2A hydrolysis sites was found for IgGs against H2A (zero time), while the maximum (35) for anti-H2B IgGs (60 days after mice treatment with DNA-histone complex). Overall, it was first demonstrated that at different stages of EAE evolution, IgGs-abzymes against individual histones and MBP could significantly differ in the number and type of specific sites of H2A hydrolysis. The possible reasons for the catalytic cross-reactivity and great differences in the number and type of histone H2A cleavage sites were analyzed.
Keywords: C57BL/6 mice; EAE model of human multiple sclerosis; catalytic antibodies; cross-complexation and catalytic cross-reactivity; hydrolysis of histones and myelin basic protein; immunization mice with MOG and DNA–histone complex.