The 52‐kd protein as a target of intermolecular spreading of the immune response to components of the SS‐A/Ro‐SS‐B/La complex

Abstract

The murine responses observed in the present study, demonstrating reciprocal intermolecular spreading to 48-kd SS-B/La, 52-kd SS-A/Ro, and 60-kd SS-A/Ro, support the linkage of 52-kd SS-A/Ro with the other proteins, despite their as-yet-undetected association in vivo. The marked recruitment of anti-52-kd SS-A/Ro responses elicited by 48-kd SS-B/La may provide a lead to exploring the physical interaction, direct or indirect, of 52-kd SS-A/Ro with the SS-A/Ro-SS-B/La RNP particle and its presentation to the immune system. These data should facilitate the establishment of a murine model of neonatal lupus.