Autoantibodies as Probes in Cell and Molecular Biology

Abstract

Conclusions

Human sera containing autoantibodies that specifically recognize important cellular antigens are a key tool being used for studying cellular processes (summarized in Table I). Human autoantisera have been used as essential research probes that allowed for the identification of many important cellular proteins and for the elucidation of several biochemical processes. As has been shown in this Minireview, in certain instances, such as the processing of hnRNA to mRNA, human autoantisera have allowed for cellular events to be investigated in incredible detail and an exhaustive literature exists that summarizes these experimental studies. Human autoantibodies have been used for the identification and purification of the snRNP particles and for investigations into the assembly and workings of spliceosomes. However, studies of mRNA processing are more the exception than the rule. In most instances, human autoantibodies are only beginning to be realized as powerful experimental tools. Human autoantisera have provided the first experimental probes for the microtubule organizing centers and for important nucleolar antigens, and have allowed for the identification of several enzymes and cofactors that are essential for RNA and DNA synthesis. In addition, although it was not described in this Minireview, human autoantibodies have been identified that react with cell type-specific molecules, such as the acetylcholine receptor antibodies that are present in sera from patients with myasthenia gravis (4). Autoantibodies that are limited in reactivity to a single cell type also are being used by numerous investigators to study the functioning of specific cells.

In the future, human autoantibodies probably will be used to a greater extent than they have been to date as the potential of autoimmune antisera as experimental probes is realized. Granted, there are certain limitations and drawbacks that must be overcome when working with complex sera instead of affinity-purified antibody probes.