Back to your search result

Description

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease with a wide range of clinical manifestations and the presence of multiple autoantibodies. Anti-Smith antibodies are highly specific for SLE and are reported to be of importance in the classification of this disease. Smith antigens (Sm) are RNase resistant, non-histone nuclear proteins that are composed of several polypeptides of differing molecular weights. They include B, B , D1, D2, D3, E, F, and G polypeptides and associate with small ribonucleoproteins U1, U2, U4, U5, and U6. They are reported to be essential for the splicing of pre-mRNA in eukaryotes. Of these D1 and D3 are the most common antigens recognized by anti-Sm antibodies found in SLE subjects. Although Sm proteins are antigenically conserved and exist as RNA-protein complex, RNA does not play a major role in its antigenicity. Clone Y12 is reported to strongly react with native D1, D3, and B in immunoblot applications, but not with recombinantly expressed D1. It requires symmetrical dimethylarginines (sDMAs) for antigen recognition. This clone is reported to recognize an linear epitope (aa 95-119) in human D1 protein. (Ref.: Brahms, H., et al. (2000). J. Biol. Chem. 275(22), 17122-17129, Pettersson, I., et al. (1984). J. Biol. Chem. 259(9), 5907-5914, Dang, H., et al. (1983). J. Immunol 130(6), 2782-2785).