Novel protein, its gene, reagents for inducing apoptosis, and anticancer agent

Abstract

Novel proteins which have cell death inducing activity or proliferation inhibitory activity on cancer cells; fragments of such proteins; genes coding such proteins; monoclonal antibodies to such proteins; reagents which induce apoptosis on cells including cancer cells in vitro for investigation of the mechanism of cell death induction, and which are obtained from the proteins including the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No. 1 of the sequence listing, fragments thereof, genes coding these; and carcinostatic agents.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A protein comprising an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No. 1 of sequence listing, or an amino acid sequence at least partly homologous or analogous to said sequence, and having proliferation inhibitory activity on cancer cells or cell death inducing activity, and its fragments.  
     
     
         2 . A protein comprising an amino acid sequence homologous to said amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No. 1 of sequence listing, and having proliferation inhibitory activity on cancer cells or cell death inducing activity.  
     
     
         3 . A protein comprising amino acids 61-89 and 497-514 of SEQ ID No. 1 of said sequence listing, and having proliferation inhibitory activity on cancer cells or cell death inducing activity.  
     
     
         4 . A gene coding said protein defined in any one of  claims 1  to  3  or its fragment.  
     
     
         5 . A gene comprising DNA sequence of SEQ ID No. 2 of sequence listing, or DNA sequence at least partly homologous or analogous to said sequence.  
     
     
         6 . A monoclonal antibody to said protein as defined in any one of  claims 1  to  3  or its fragment.  
     
     
         7 . The monoclonal antibody of  claim 6  selected from the group consisting of I38A (NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF BIOSCIENCE AND HUMAN TECHNOLOGY, AGENCY OF INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, International Deposit No. FERM BP-5872) , monoclonal antibody I32D (NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF BIOSCIENCE AND HUMAN TECHNOLOGY, AGENCY OF INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, International Deposit No. FERM BP-5873), and monoclonal antibody I310H (NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF BIOSCIENCE AND HUMAN TECHNOLOGY, AGENCY OF INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, International Deposit No. FERM BP-5874).  
     
     
         8 . A reagent for qualifying apoptosis comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of said protein as defined in any one of  claims 1  to  3  and its fragment, said monoclonal antibody defined in  claim 6 , said monoclonal antibody defined in  claim 7 , and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         9 . A carcinostatic agent comprising said protein as defined in any one of  claims 1  to  3  and its fragment as an active component.  
     
     
         10 . The carcinostatic agent of  claim 9  further comprising said monoclonal antibody as defined in  claim 6  or  7 .