The GOR47-1 sequence in human DNA encoding for a potential autoantigen in connection with hepatitis C--a sequence not only reserved for humans.

The sequence 'GOR47-1' is a consistent part of human DNA; the expressed polypeptide of it 'GOR' is accepted to be an autoantigen, and the anti-GOR an autoantibody. However, GOR47-1 was originally isolated through a cDNA clone from blood of a chimpanzee. This animal belonged to a series of chimpanzees, in which human plasma of a patient with non-A, non-B hepatitis had been passaged. To date, nothing is known how it is that this 'sequence GOR47-1' without recognizable self-replicating properties and allocated to the human genome could be isolated from a chimpanzee plasma. The aim of this study was to detect by polymerase chain reaction GOR47-1 sequences in healthy, anti-HCV-negative humans, HCV-positive patients, chimpanzee, snake, and in maize and tobacco plants. The GOR47-1 sequence is present not only in human DNA but also with a high degree of homology in chimpanzee DNA. Essential parts of this sequence are also present in DNA of a snake and the two plants listed above. Our findings reveal that the GOR47-1 sequence isolated from a chimpanzee was probably of the chimpanzee origin. This fact has not yet been considered up until now, when discussing the role of GOR/anti-GOR in humans particularly suffering from chronic hepatitis C.