Identification of nuclear spliceosomal antigens targeted by NOD mouse antibodies following sodium iodide intake

Abstract

The non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse spontaneously develops a range of autoreactive responses including an autoantibody response to nuclear antigens. As elevated dietary iodine has been shown to increase thyroid autoimmune pathology in NOD mice, the effect of sodium iodide (NaI) on the development of anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) was assessed. Interestingly, the NaI symporter is expressed in both thyroid and salivary glands. Elevated dietary iodine was found to increase the percentage of male NOD mice developing autoantibodies. Specifically, the nuclear autoantibodies that develop in NOD mice were shown to target specific spliceosomal components. The target specificity of the autoantibodies was determined using recombinant spliceosomal proteins and shown to include U1A, U170K, U2B″, U2A′, as well as the Sm proteins D1, D2, and B. The autoantibody isotypes most consistently represented were IgG2a and IgG2b.

• Autoantibodies
• spliceosome
• NOD
• Sjögrens syndrome

Abbreviations
SS	=	Sjögrens syndrome
NaI	=	sodium iodide

Abbreviations
SS	=	Sjögrens syndrome
NaI	=	sodium iodide

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Drs Nicole Parish and Tina Rich for their critical reading of this manuscript and helpful discussions. We would also like to thank the BBSRC, the MRC, The Wellcome Trust, The Benzon Foundation and The Isaac Newton Trust for supporting this work.