Screening of SLE sera using purified recombinant Sm-D1 protein from a baculovirus expression system

The Sm-D1 polypeptide is a major target of autoantibodies diagnostic for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The cDNA encoding the human antigen was expressed as a full-length, nonfusion protein using a eukaryotic baculovirus expression system. This recombinant version of Sm-D1 (rSm-D1) was purified to apparent homogeneity by a combination of differential extraction steps and FPLC chromatography. A direct antibody-binding ELISA was developed using the purified antigen. There was 96% correlation between the rSm-D1 and bona fide Sm-D1 from either HeLa cells or rabbit thymus when tested against Sm-positive patient sera by ELISA. The baculovirus-expressed Sm-D1 is reactive not only with patient anti-Sm sera, but also with anti-Sm monoclonal antibodies. Our results suggest that this rSm-D1 mimics the bona fide sources, providing a valuable addition to the roster of antigens available for SLE screening, epitope mapping and overall structure study.