Sequence analysis of human endogenous retrovirus clone 4-1 in systemic lupus erythematosus.
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERV) have emerged as a possible cause of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We previously detected serum antibodies to the gag region of HERV clone 4-1 in patients with SLE, but not in normal volunteers. In the present study, we detected clone 4-1 messenger RNA (mRNA) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from SLE patients and performed sequence analysis of the cDNA or genomic DNA from clone 4-1 in these patients. Clone 4-1 mRNA was detected in all of the SLE patients tested, although it was not found in normal controls. Sequence analysis of clone 4-1 in these SLE patients revealed inactivation of the stop codons in part of the gag region. In addition, a computer search of current sequence libraries revealed that the clone 4-1 gag genomic DNA from SLE patients was more highly homologous with the clone 4-1 sequence in chromosome 11 from normal individuals when compared with the sequence of clone 4-1 integrated in the other chromosomes. It is possible that transcription of clone 4-1 from chromosome 11 occurs in SLE, and that the stop codon inactivation contributes to the translation of clone 4-1 gag proteins in patients with this disease.
Ogasawara
H
H
Department of Internal Medicine aind Rheumatology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Hishikawa
T
T
Sekigawa
I
I
Hashimoto
H
H
Yamamoto
N
N
Maruyama
N
N
D000328:Adult; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004279:DNA, Viral; D020077:Endogenous Retroviruses / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000821:virology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017421:Sequence Analysis
D004279:DNA, Viral; D015683:Gene Products, gag; D012333:RNA, Messenger