Patent ID: 7125687
Filing Date: 2006-10-24
Classification: A61K,A61P,C07K

Abstract:
1. A method for specifically detecting a stress that alters a functional interaction of a presenilin enhancer (pen) polypeptide with Notch processing or with amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing in a C. elegans cell in situ which provides a functional interaction of a pen polypeptide with Notch or APP processing, wherein the stress is a modulator of Notch or APP processing, wherein the pen polypeptide comprises a wild-type pen selected from the group consisting of C. elegans (SEQ ID NO:7) Pen-2 and C. elegans (SEQ ID NO:1) Pen-1, wherein said cell is stressed by a disruption of a pen gene function, said disruption sufficient to provide a sensitized Notch or APP processing pathway, the method comprising steps: a) subjecting said cell to a putative modulator of Notch or APP processing; and b) detecting a resultant change in Notch or APP processing in the cell, wherein said change identifies the putative modulator as a modulator of Notch or APP processing, and thereby detecting said stress, wherein the disrupting is effected by (i) genomic disruption of the pen gene, (ii) RNAi-mediated interference with expression of the pen gene, or (iii) antisense RNA interference with expression of the pen gene, and wherein the disrupting provides non-natural or pathogenic expression of the pen gene.