Ro60 is not part of the TRIM family. Ro60 is encoded by a gene 32 kb in length and acts to regulate the fate of misfolded RNA within the host cell. Ro60 forms a ribonucleoprotein complex with one molecule of noncoding Y1, Y3, Y4, or Y5RNA, all of which are approximately 100 nucleotides in length, to form the epitope that Anti-Ro60 recognizes. The absence of Ro60 results in an elevated immune response and decreased resilience to immune-related stress.
The epitope of the Ro60 protein is similar to that of the Epstein-Barr virus, and the presence of the virus may enhance the autoimmune response to Ro60, as anti-Epstein Barr antibodies can target the protein.