Autoantibodies against a serine tRNA-protein complex implicated in cotranslational selenocysteine insertion

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1992 Oct 15;89(20):9739-43. doi: 10.1073/pnas.89.20.9739.

Abstract

We describe an autoantibody specificity present in a subgroup of patients with a severe form of autoimmune chronic active hepatitis. These antibodies precipitate a 90-nucleotide RNA from human whole cell extracts and recognize a 48-kDa polypeptide in immunoblotting assays. The RNA is a UGA suppressor serine tRNA that carries selenocysteine (tRNA[Ser]Sec)), as shown by sequence analysis. The protein does not appear to be seryl-tRNA synthetase; rather, it is an excellent candidate for a factor involved in cotranslational selenocysteine incorporation in human cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Autoantibodies / immunology*
  • Autoantigens / chemistry*
  • Autoimmune Diseases / immunology*
  • Base Sequence
  • Genes, Suppressor
  • Hepatitis, Chronic / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • RNA, Transfer, Ser / metabolism*
  • Ribonucleoproteins / immunology*
  • Selenocysteine / metabolism*
  • Transfer RNA Aminoacylation

Substances

  • Autoantibodies
  • Autoantigens
  • RNA, Transfer, Ser
  • Ribonucleoproteins
  • Selenocysteine