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The immunoreactive region in a novel autoantigen contains a nuclear localization sequence
D B Bloch1, D Rabkina, T Quertermous
1Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
Clinical Immunology and Immunopathology
|September 1, 1994
Summary
Researchers identified a novel autoantigen, Ge-1, in Sjögren
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Molecular Biology
- Autoimmunity
Background:
- Autoantibodies in autoimmune diseases aid in identifying human autoantigens.
- Autoantibodies often recognize active sites on protein antigens, facilitating functional characterization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify a novel autoantigen using serum from a patient with Sjögren's syndrome.
- To characterize the functional properties of the identified autoantigen, designated Ge-1.
Main Methods:
- Screening patient serum to identify the autoantigen Ge-1 and its encoding cDNA.
- Expressing recombinant Ge-1 fusion proteins in Escherichia coli.
- Functional analysis of the immunoreactive region, including nuclear localization sequence (NLS) testing in COS-1 cells.
Main Results:
- A novel autoantigen, Ge-1, was identified using serum from a Sjögren's syndrome patient.
- A 58-amino acid immunoreactive region within Ge-1, containing a putative nuclear localization sequence (NLS), was identified.
- The identified NLS motif was demonstrated to function in nuclear import of a fused protein.
Conclusions:
- The novel autoantigen Ge-1 possesses a functional nuclear localization sequence (NLS).
- The NLS motif within nuclear autoantigens may represent a common target for human autoantibodies.