Patent ID: 6989244

Claim:
A method of screening for compounds that inhibit production of an inflammatory cytokine, comprising: (a) providing a sample comprising a TAK1 and a TAB1; (b) contacting a test compound with the TAK1 and the TAB1; (c) detecting binding between the TAK1 and the TAB1; and (d) selecting a compound that inhibits the binding; wherein the TAK1 of (a) is selected from the group consisting of (i) a protein comprising amino acids 76 to 303 of SEQ ID NO:2; and (ii) a protein that binds to amino acids 437 to 504 of SEQ ID NO:4 and comprises an amino acid sequence encoded by a DNA sequence that hybridizes with the complement of nucleotides 408 to 1091 of SEQ ID NO:1 under washing conditions of 42° C., 5×SSC, 0.1% sodium dodecyl sulfate, and 50% formamide; and wherein the TAB1 of (a) is selected from the group consisting of (iii) a protein comprising amino acids 437 to 504 of SEQ ID NO:4; and (iv) a protein that binds to amino acids 76 to 303 of SEQ ID NO:2 and comprises an amino acid sequence encoded by a DNA that hybridizes with the complement of nucleotides 1338 to 1541 of SEQ ID NO:3 under washing conditions of 42° C., 5×SSC, 0.1% sodium dodecyl sulfate, and 50% formamide, wherein the compound inhibits production of an inflammatory cytokine produced in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or IL-1α.