Molecular characterization of a major nephritogenic domain in the autoantigen of anti-tubular basement membrane disease

Anti-tubular basement membrane (αTBM) disease is a form of primary interstitial nephritis mediated by autoimmune T cells and αTBM antibodies. In mice and humans the nephritogenic immune response is directed to a glycoprotein (3M-1) found along the proximal tubule of the kidney. We have isolated cDNAs from an expression library that encodes for the common framework domain of the 3M-1 antigen. This common domain was once related evolutionarily to a family of intermediate filament-associated proteins. Northern hybridization revealed that all isoforms of 3M-1 range between 1700 and 1900 base pairs and in situ hybridization studies indicate that transcripts are found in tubular epithelium. Candidate peptide fragments were deduced and synthesized from the sequence encoding this common framework domain, and one of the peptide residues was able to bind a monoclonal 3M-1-reactive αTBM antibody, stimulate the growth of 3M-1-reactive helper T cells, and induce nephritogenic effector T cells capable of producing interstitial nephritis. Our results indicate that a unique, immunodominant region of the 3M-1 antigen is an informative participant in the emergence of autoimmune injury to certain basement membranes.