Sulphilimine/Sulfilimine cross-links in Goodpasture's disease

Summary The sulphilimine/sulfilimine cross-link of the Goodpasture (GP) autoantigen is a novel molecular mechanism (structural constraint) for conferring immune privilege to a site which otherwise is susceptible to structural changes that induce an immunogenic and pathogenic conformation. Perturbation of the assembly or cleavage of the sulphilimine/sulfilimine cross-links could be a key factor in the aetiology of Goodpasture's disease in susceptible individuals.