DAP-2 TUMOR SUPPRESSOR GENE, PROTEIN ENCODED THEREBY AND USE OF SAID GENE AND PROTEIN

摘要

The present invention is based on the pioneering finding that inhibition of expression of certain genes counteracts the cytokine-induced cell death. As long as these genes function normally, cytokine induces cell death; once the expression of said genes is inhibited, the cytokine-induced cell death is inhibited. Its follows therefrom that the normal expression is cytokine-induced cell death. In HeLa cells IFN-gamma induces a biphasic process, which comprises an initial cytostatic phase and a subsequent cytotoxic phase (programmed cell death). The novels genes discovered in accordance with the present invention were found to affect only the later, cytotoxic phase. These genes, referred to as "DAP" (death-associated protein) genes, include DNA molecules which comprise a coding sequence encoding the expression products of the DAP genes or expression products having a similar biological activity.