Novel human autoantibodies reactive with 5'-terminal trimethylguanosine cap structures of U small nuclear RNA.

A class of RNA-containing particles, U small nuclear/nucleolar ribonucleoprotein particles (U snRNP), are well known to be targets for sera from patients with various autoimmune diseases. In the most cases the protein components carry the antigenic determinants. We have identified serum autoantibodies from three patients with systemic sclerosis that were directed against U1-U5 snRNA by immunoprecipitation of deproteinized 32PO4 labeled HeLa cell total RNA. By competitive radioimmunoprecipitation assays, an experimentally induced anti-2,2,7-trimethylguanosine (TMG) cap structure mAb inhibited the reaction of these antisera. In addition, IgG isolated from the antisera inhibited the anti-TMG mAb reaction to the U snRNA. Furthermore, a structural analog, 7-methylguanosine-triphosphate, competitively inhibited the reaction of the antisera to the U snRNA. Thus we concluded that the TMG cap structure of the U snRNA could be a target for serum autoantibodies.