title: The nuclear autoantigen La/SS-B: mapping and sequencing of the gene and the three retropseudogenes.
abstract: One target of autoantibodies in sera of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus or primary Sjögren's syndrome is the nuclear autoantigen La/SS-B. Lambda clones and cosmids were isolated, which contained the sequences of the La gene and the three La pseudogenes. They were used for preparation of a physical map. Finally, the La gene and pseudogenes were sequenced. The pseudogenes were characterized as retropseudogenes. Their evolutionary ages were estimated to be approx. 4, 4.5 and 5 million years. Inserts of 4, 16 and 24 nucleotides, which were mostly A-residues, were found in exon 7 of the respective pseudogene. The oldest pseudogene contained the longest insert, the youngest pseudogene contained the smallest insert. The oligonucleotides seem to be the result of repeated inserts of A-residues in a hot spot region of the La genes. Two La cDNAs were isolated which contained either a deletion or an insert of an A-residue at the same position.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Physiologische Chemie, Johannes-Gutenberg Universität, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grölz
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bartsch
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tröster
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bachmann
mesh_terms: D001324:Autoantigens / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005091:Exons; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D011544:Pseudogenes; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D000097585:SS-B Antigen
chemical_list: D001324:Autoantigens; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins; D000097585:SS-B Antigen