Background of the antigen
DEAD-box proteins, characterized by the conserved motif Asp-Glu-Ala-Asp, are putative RNA helicases implicated in several cellular processes involving modifications of RNA secondary structure and ribosome/spliceosome assembly. Based on their distribution patterns, some members of this family may be involved in embryogenesis, spermatogenesis, and cellular growth and division. DDX15 (DEAH-box protein 15), also known as DHX15, DBP1 or HRH2, is a nuclear ATP-dependent RNA helicase that is involved in pre-mRNA splicing and is a member of the DEAH-box subfamily of DEAD-box proteins. Expressed throughout the body, DDX15 is a pre-mRNA processing factor that plays a role in spliceosome disassembly after the release of mature mRNA. When localized to the nucleoli, DDX15 is thought to interact with the La/SSB autoantigen, an RNA chaperone that functions in various intracellular processes. DDX15 is 795 amino acids in length and is the human ortholog of the S. cerevisiae protein Prp43. helicase 2.
