GW/P-bodies and autoimmune disease

• Published in: Advances in experimental medicine and biology Vol. 768; p. 61
• Main Authors: Bloch, Donald B, Nobre, Rita A, Yang, Wei-Hong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-01-2013
• Subjects: Animals; Autoantibodies - genetics; Autoantibodies - immunology; Autoantibodies - metabolism; Autoantigens - genetics; Autoantigens - immunology; Autoantigens - metabolism; Autoimmune Diseases - genetics; Autoimmune Diseases - metabolism; Fluorescent Antibody Technique; Humans; Microbodies - genetics; Microbodies - metabolism; MicroRNAs - genetics; MicroRNAs - immunology; MicroRNAs - metabolism; Proteins - genetics; Proteins - immunology; Proteins - metabolism; Ribonucleoproteins - genetics; Ribonucleoproteins - immunology; Ribonucleoproteins - metabolism; RNA Interference - immunology; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - immunology; RNA, Small Interfering - genetics; RNA, Small Interfering - immunology; RNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; RNA-Binding Proteins - immunology; RNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism; Y-Box-Binding Protein 1 - genetics; Y-Box-Binding Protein 1 - immunology; Y-Box-Binding Protein 1 - metabolism
• ISSN: 0065-2598
• DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-5107-5_5

Human autoantibodies have performed admirably in the service of characterizing GW/P-bodies. These antibodies have provided a critical point of reference by which other proteins have been shown to be components of GW/P-bodies. In addition,autoantibodies have been used to identify new GW/P-body components, including Ge-l, GW182, RAP55, and YB-1. Using new, high-throughput screening assays, it is likely that additional, novel GW/P-body components will be identified. Human auto antibodies have also raised the possibility of a functional link between two apparently unrelated cellular structures, PML-SplOO nuclear bodies and GW/P-bodies.A key unanswered question remains: What is the role of GW/P-bodies in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disease? Over the next 10 years, as more is learned about the function of GW/P-bodies, it is hoped that molecular and cellular biologists will further consider this question and remember the important contributions of patients with autoimmune disease to the early characterization of these cellular structures.