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1: Science. 2006 Jun 16;312(5780):1669-72. Epub 2006 May 18.Click here to read Links
Comment in:
Science. 2006 Jun 16;312(5780):1606-8.

Autoreactive B cell responses to RNA-related antigens due to TLR7 gene duplication.

Pisitkun P, Deane JA, Difilippantonio MJ, Tarasenko T, Satterthwaite AB, Bolland S.

Laboratory of Immunogenetics, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), NIH, Rockville, MD 20852, USA.

Antibodies against nuclear self-antigens are characteristic of systemic autoimmunity, although mechanisms promoting their generation and selection are unclear. Here, we report that B cells containing the Y-linked autoimmune accelerator (Yaa) locus are intrinsically biased toward nucleolar antigens because of increased expression of TLR7, a single-stranded RNA-binding innate immune receptor. The TLR7 gene is duplicated in Yaa mice because of a 4-Megabase expansion of the pseudoautosomal region. These results reveal high divergence in mouse Y chromosomes and represent a good example of gene copy number qualitatively altering a polygenic disease manifestation.

PMID: 16709748 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]