Specificity
The human SP100 gene encodes an autoantigen that co-localizes with PML and NDP52 in distinct nuclear domains, called nuclear dots (NDs) or ND10 nuclear bodies. Papova-, adeno-, and herpesviruses begin their transcription and DNA-replication at NDs, which play a role in autoimmunity, viral infections and in the etiology of acute promyelocytic leukemia. SP-100 is an interferon inducible protein that has two splice variants. One splice variant contains a highly conserved copy of the DNA-binding high mobility group 1 protein sequence, and thus represents a novel HMG-box protein. This alternatively spliced variant of SP-100 has a unique expression and localization pattern that is distinct from the SP-100 full-length protein. The SP100 protein is covalently modified by the small ubiquitin-related protein SUMO-1. SP-100 contains a functional nuclear localization signal and an ND-targeting region, which overlaps with the SP-100 homodimerization domain.