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An immunodominant epitope on DNA topoisomerase I is conformational in nature: Heterogeneity in its recognition by systemic sclerosis sera

✍ Scribed by Masataka Kuwana; Junichi Kaburaki; Thomas A. Medsger Jr.; Timothy M. Wright


Publisher
John Wiley and Sons
Year
1999
Tongue
English
Weight
233 KB
Volume
42
Category
Article
ISSN
0004-3591

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✦ Synopsis


Objective:

To characterize an immunodominant epitope recognized by anti-dna topoisomerase i (topo i) antibody, a major autoantibody in sera of patients with systemic sclerosis (ssc).

Methods:

Topo i fragments were generated as fusion proteins using a bacterial expression system as well as polypeptides translated in vitro using a eukaryotic expression system. reactivities to the 2 preparations of recombinant topo i polypeptides in anti-topo i-positive sera from ssc patients of varied ethnic backgrounds were examined by immunoblotting, immunoprecipitation, and/or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results:

The fragment encoding amino acids 489-573 of topo i was recognized by 98 of 100 anti-topo i-positive ssc sera. both carboxyl- and amino-terminal deletion studies as well as competitive inhibition assays using topo i synthetic peptides showed that a region of > or =52 amino acids (512-563) was necessary for recognition by anti-topo i antibodies. the minimum epitope region and conformation required for this reactivity were variable among sera from caucasian, african american, japanese, and choctaw ssc patients.

Conclusion:

An immunodominant epitope recognized by anti-topo i autoantibody is located in the region of amino acids 489-573 of the topo i protein and is largely conformational in nature. the recognition pattern of this region by anti-topo i-positive sera is heterogeneous and is influenced by ethnic background.