Patent ID: 7393653

Claim:
A method of identifying an effective agent that alters the association of a Bit1 (Bcl-2 inhibitor of transcription) polypeptide with an AES (amino enhancer of split) polypeptide, comprising the steps of: (a) contacting a Bit1 polypeptide, or active fragment thereof, 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, and an AES polypeptide, or active fragment thereof, 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, a polypeptide comprising residues 56-104 of SEQ ID NO:6, with an agent under conditions that allow said Bit1 polypeptide to associate with said AES polypeptide; and (b) detecting an altered association of said Bit1 polypeptide or active fragment thereof and said AES polypeptide or active fragment thereof, said altered association indicating that said agent is an effective agent that alters the association of a Bit1 polypeptide with an AES polypeptide.