Identification of human autoantibodies to the transcriptional repressor ZF5.
ZF5 was originally cloned as a transcriptional repressor on the mouse c-myc promoter. It contains the Kruppel-type zinc fingers and a conserved POZ domain, which is found in a growing number of zinc finger proteins and mediate protein-protein interactions. Autoantibodies against transcription factors are sometimes found in sera from patients with high levels of anti-nuclear antibody (ANA). Using Western blotting with ZF5 and sera of autoimmune disease, we detected one serum, named M6 serum, which contains the antibody against a transcriptional repressor ZF5. The confirmed epitope was specific to ZF5 and was not reactive to the other analogous factors: BCL-6, ZID, and Sp1. This epitope also has a molecular mimicry of the viral proteins. From these results, we predict that viral protein which mimics host ZF5 antigen triggers self-reactive T cell clones and induces the autoantibody in M6 serum after the destruction of host tissues.
Department of Molecular Pathology, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Hiroshima, Minami-ku, 734, Japan.
A
A
Yanagidani
M
M
Matsuoka
K
K
Yokoro
H
H
Tanaka
M
M
Numoto
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000937:Antigen-Antibody Reactions; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D000939:Epitopes / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000378:metabolism; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000276:immunology*
D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D000939:Epitopes; D007106:Immune Sera; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C489978:ZBTB14 protein, human