Characterization of murine monoclonal antibodies against the Ro52 autoantigen

SUMMARY Immunization of BALB/c mice with purified recombinant human Ro52 protein resulted in three anti-Ro52 MoAbs termed 2E7, 4C6 and 4F11. All anti-Ro52 MoAbs specifically reacted with recombinant human Ro52 protein, and also with Ro52 protein in total extracts of all human cell lines analysed, including the epithelial cell line HeLa, the B cell line Raji, the bladder carcinoma cell line RT112, and a fibroblast cell line derived from patients with xeroderma pigmentosum. The anti-Ro52 MoAbs were able to immunoprecipitate the recombinant human Ro52 protein expressed in wheat germ extract, but failed to precipitate hY RNAs from cell extracts. The staining pattern of the MoAbs strongly differ…