Naoki Goshima

Recent studies have reported the presence of autoantibodies against zinc finger and SCAN domain-containing protein 1 (ZSCAN1) in the sera of patients with rapid-onset obesity with hypoventilation, hypothalamic and autonomic dysregulation (ROHHAD) syndrome associated with neuroendocrine tumors, suggesting immunologic and paraneoplastic processes as the pathologic underpinnings. Moreover, several hypothalamic regions, including the subfornical organ (SFO), were reported to exhibit antibody reactivity in a patient with ROHHAD syndrome not associated with a tumor. Whether ROHHAD syndrome not associated with a tumor is associated with anti-ZSCAN1 autoantibodies remains unclear. We used a comprehensive protein array analysis to identify candidate molecules in the sera of patients with ROHHAD syndrome and identified ZSCAN1 as a target antigen. We also found that ZSCAN1 was co-expressed at the site of antibody reactivity to the IgG in the patient serum observed in mouse SFOs and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed that >85% of the patients with ROHHAD syndrome were positive for anti-ZSCAN1 autoantibodies. These results suggest anti-ZSCAN1 autoantibodies as a feasible diagnostic marker in ROHHAD syndrome regardless of the presence of a tumor.

OBJECTIVES: To identify and characterize undescribed systemic sclerosis (SSc)-specific autoantibodies targeting nucleolar antigens and to assess their clinical significance. METHODS: We conducted proteome-wide autoantibody screening (PWAS) against serum samples from SSc patients with nucleolar patterned anti-nuclear antibodies (NUC-ANAs) of specific antibodies (Abs) unknown, utilizing wet protein arrays fabricated from in vitro human proteome. Controls included SSc patients with already-known SSc-specific autoantibodies, patients with other connective tissue diseases, and healthy subjects. The selection of nucleolar antigens was performed by database search in the Human Protein Atlas. The Presence of autoantibodies was certified by immunoblots and immunoprecipitations. Indirect immunofluorescence assays on HEp-2 cells were also conducted. Clinical assessment was conducted by retrospective review of electric medical records. RESULTS: PWAS identified three candidate autoantibodies, including anti-nuclear valosin-containing protein-like (NVL) Ab. Additional measurements in disease controls revealed that only anti-NVL Abs are exclusively detected in SSc. Detection of anti-NVL Abs was reproduced by conventional assays such as immunoblotting and immunoprecipitation. Indirect immunofluorescence assays demonstrated homogeneous nucleolar patterns. Anti-NVL Ab-positive cases were characterized by significantly low prevalence of diffuse skin sclerosis and interstitial lung disease, compared with SSc cases with NUC-ANAs other than anti-NVL Abs, such as anti-U3-RNP and anti-Th/To Abs. CONCLUSION: Anti-NVL Ab is an SSc-specific autoantibody associated with a unique combination of clinical features, including limited skin sclerosis and lack of lung involvement.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) and dermatomyositis (DM) are autoimmune collagen diseases. Specific autoantibodies are known to be involved in their pathogeneses, each presenting with a different clinical manifestation. Although immunoprecipitation is the gold standard method for detecting autoantibodies, it is difficult to perform in all cases owing to the use of radioisotopes. In this study, we developed a new detection method for SSc and DM autoantibodies (A-cube) using cell-free protein synthesis and examined its validity. Proteins were synthesized using wheat germ cell-free protein synthesis. A total of 100 cases of SSc, 50 cases of DM, and 82 healthy controls were examined. The validity of the method was examined by a comparison with existing test results. Anti-centromere antibody, anti-topoisomerase I antibody, anti-RNA polymerase III antibody, anti-U1RNP anti-body, anti-Jo-1 antibody, anti-TIF1γ antibody, anti-Mi-2 antibody, and anti-ARS antibody were tested for. The results suggested that A-cube is comparable with existing testing methods or has a high sensitivity or specificity. In addition, there was a case in which the diagnosis was reconsidered using the A-cube. The quality of the A-cube was ensured, and its usefulness for a comprehensive analysis was demonstrated. The A-cube can therefore contribute to the clinical assessment and treatment of SSc and DM.

Abstract Mammalian genomes encode large number of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) that play key roles in various biological processes, including proliferation, differentiation and stem cell pluripotency. Recent studies have addressed that some lncRNAs are dysregulated in human cancers and may play crucial roles in tumor development and progression. Here, we show that the lncRNA ZNNT1 is required for the proliferation and tumorigenicity of colon cancer cells with wild-type p53. ZNNT1 knockdown leads to decreased ubiquitination and stabilization of p53 protein. Moreover, we demonstrate that ZNNT1 needs to interact with SART3 to destabilize p53 and to promote the proliferation and tumorigenicity of colon cancer cells. We further show that SART3 is associated with the ubiquitin-specific peptidase USP15 and that ZNNT1 may induce p53 destabilization by inhibiting this interaction. These results suggest that ZNNT1 interferes with the SART3-USP15 complex-mediated stabilization of p53 protein, and thereby plays important roles in the proliferation and tumorigenicity of colon cancer cells. Our findings suggest that ZNNT1 may be a promising molecular target for the therapy of colon cancer.