Nucleic acids, polypeptides, and methods for modulating apoptosis

摘要

Described is an isolated nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a rat apoptosis-specific eIF-5A polypeptide; a purified polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence of the rat apoptosis-specific eIF-5A polypeptide; an isolated nucleic acid that comprises a nucleotide sequence encoding a rat apoptosis-specific DHS polypeptide; and an antisense oligonucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a portion of the rat apoptosis-specific DHS polypeptide. Also mentioned is the use in the manufacture in the medicament of an agent that modulates apoptosis-specific eIF-5A function in a cell and the agent preferably comprises an expression vector, in a cell. Methods of identifying modulation of apoptosis comprises: (i) providing a test cell; (ii) contacting the test cell with a drug candidate; and (iii) determining whether a ratio of proliferating eIF-5A to apoptosis-specific eIF-5A in the test cell in the presence in the drug candidate has been altered, wherein alterations in the ratio of proliferating eIF-5A to apoptosis-specific eIF-5A is indicative of modulation of apoptosis and wherein the test cell is not a human cell in situ.