Certain autoimmune sera contain antibodies against a nucleolar ribonucleoprotein particle associated with 7-2-RNA (R. Reddy et al. (1983) J . Bioi. Chem . 258, 1383C. Hashimoto and J. A. Steitz (1983) J. Bioi. Chem. 258, 1379). In this study, we showed by immunofluorescence microscopy that antibodies reactive with 7-2-ribonucleoprotein immunolocalized in the granular regions of actinomycin D and 5,6-dichloro-I-j3-D-ribofuranosylbenzimidazole (DRB)-segregated nucleoli from Vero cells. By electron microscopic immunocytochemistry, antigen-antibody complexes were located in the granular component of transcriptionally active nucleoli from rat liver hepatocytes and HeLa cells. Anti-7-2-RNP antibodies from two autoimmune sera immunoprecipitated a major protein of Mr 40,000 from e 5 S] methionine-Iabeled HeLa cell extract. The immunolocalization data suggest that 7-2-ribonucleoprotein may be involved in stages of ribosome biogenesis which take place in the granular component of the nucleolus, i.e., assembly, maturation , and/or transport of preribosomes .