NUCLEIC ACIDS ENCODING CASPASE-8H AND CASPASE-8I

摘要

The present invention relates to the discovery and characterization of two novel forms of Caspase-8. The first Caspase-8 of the invention, Caspase-8h, encodes a 220 amino acid polypeptide which includes two FADD death effector domains. The second caspase of the invention, Caspase-8i, encodes an 81 amino acid polypeptide having one FADD death effector domain. The invention encompasses nucleic acid molecules encoding Caspase-8h and Caspase-8i, vectors containing these nucleic acid molecules, cells harboring recombinant DNA encoding Caspase-8h and/or Caspase-8i, host fusion proteins which include Caspase-8h and/or Caspase-8i, transgenic animals which express Caspase-8h and/or Caspase-8i, therapeutic methods, purified Caspase-8h, purified Caspase-8i, therapeutic compounds and methods employing Caspase-8h and Caspase-8i, and screening methods employing Caspase-8h and Caspase-8i.