Patent ID: 8017326

Claim:
A method of identifying an effective agent that modulates cell death, comprising the steps of: (a) contacting a cell containing an exogenous nucleic acid molecule encoding a Bit1 (Bcl-2 inhibitor of transcription) polypeptide or active fragment thereof with an agent, wherein said Bit1 polypeptide or active fragment thereof is selected from SEQ ID NO:2, a polypeptide comprising residues 8-179 of SEQ ID NO:2, a polypeptide comprising residues 27-179 of SEQ ID NO:2, a polypeptide comprising residues 1-134 of SEQ ID NO:2, a polypeptide comprising residues 1-76 of SEQ ID NO:2, and a polypeptide comprising residues 27-76 of SEQ ID NO:2, wherein said cell expresses an AES (amino enhancer of split) polypeptide or active fragment thereof and wherein said AES polypeptide or active fragment thereof is selected from a polypeptide comprising SEQ ID NO:6, a polypeptide comprising residues 57-105 of SEQ ID NO:6, a polypeptide comprising residues 57-88 of SEQ ID NO:6, a polypeptide comprising residues 1-157 of SEQ ID NO:6, a polypeptide comprising residues 1-132 of SEQ ID NO:6, a polypeptide comprising residues 1-104 of SEQ ID NO:6, a polypeptide comprising residues 56-197 of SEQ ID NO:6, and a polypeptide comprising residues 56-104 of SEQ ID NO:6; and (b) detecting an increase or decrease in cell death relative to a cell in the absence of said agent, said increase or decrease in cell death indicating that said agent is an effective agent that modulates cell death.