Posttranslational protein modifications: new flavors in the menu of autoantigens.
Perhaps one of the most elusive areas of study in autoimmunity has been identifying the self-antigens that initially trigger the development of autoimmune responses. Recent work in this area has demonstrated that a number of biochemical modifications that arise in proteins after their translation induce autoimmune responses to otherwise ignored self-proteins. This article will describe those autoimmune diseases in which posttranslational modifications may play a role in initiation of disease, as well as identify how these modifications arise and contribute to the breakdown of immune tolerance. Lastly, we will address how posttranslational modifications in self-antigens affect current diagnostic techniques and the development of immunotherapies for autoimmune diseases.
Doyle
Hester A
HA
Section of Rheumatology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
Mamula
Mark J
MJ
D000596:Amino Acids / Q000235:genetics; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000235:genetics*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics
D000596:Amino Acids; D001324:Autoantigens; D011506:Proteins