Human autoimmune sera recognize a conserved 26 kD protein associated with mammalian heterochromatin that is homologous to heterochromatin protein 1 of Drosophila.

Immunofluorescence indicated that autoimmune sera from certain scleroderma/CREST patients, in addition to binding to the primary constrictions or centromeres, also labelled pericentromeric heterochromatin in mouse and human metaphase chromosomes. Immunoblotting has revealed that two conserved nuclear antigens are recognized by this CREST subgroup, one of mol. wt 26 kD (p26), and the other of mol. wt 23 kD (p23). In situ immunolabelling with affinity purified antibodies demonstrated that p26, but not p23, is concentrated in pericentromeric heterochromatin. Further studies have shown that both p26 and p23 are immunologically related to the Drosophila heterochromatin-associated protein HP1, and to other chromodomain proteins.