title: GW/P-bodies and autoimmune disease.
abstract: Human autoantibodies have performed admirably in the service of characterizing GW/P-bodies. These antibodies have provided a critical point of reference by which other proteins have been shown to be components of GW/P-bodies. In addition,autoantibodies have been used to identify new GW/P-body components, including Ge-l, GW182, RAP55, and YB-1. Using new, high-throughput screening assays, it is likely that additional, novel GW/P-body components will be identified. Human auto antibodies have also raised the possibility of a functional link between two apparently unrelated cellular structures, PML-SplOO nuclear bodies and GW/P-bodies.A key unanswered question remains: What is the role of GW/P-bodies in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disease? Over the next 10 years, as more is learned about the function of GW/P-bodies, it is hoped that molecular and cellular biologists will further consider this question and remember the important contributions of patients with autoimmune disease to the early characterization of these cellular structures.
authors.affiliation: The Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. bloch@helix.mgh.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Donald B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Bloch
authors.forename: Rita A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Nobre
authors.forename: Wei-Hong
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008830:Microbodies / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D034622:RNA Interference / Q000276:immunology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D051840:Y-Box-Binding Protein 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; C507914:EDC4 protein, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; C510649:RNA-associated protein 55, human; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins; C465663:TNRC6A protein, human; D051840:Y-Box-Binding Protein 1; C070856:YBX1 protein, human