METHODS FOR SCREENING INHIBITORS OF APOPTOSIS

摘要

The present invention addresses a need in the art for methods of identifying apoptotic proteins and methods for screnning compounds which inhibit an poptotic protein. More particularly, in certain embodiments, the invention relates to increased expression levels of a NALP1 gene and/or a NALP5 gene following neuron injury. In other embodiments, the present invention demonstrates that the recombinant expression of NALP1 and/or NALP polynucleotides stimulates apoptosis in cultured neurons, Hela cells and NIH-3T3 cells. In yet other embodiments, the invention relates to mutations in the nucleotide binding sequence (NBS) of a NALP or a NALP5 polypeptide, wherein these NBS mutations inhibit purine nucleotide binding and reduce caspase activation.