TAB1 protein and DNA coding therefore

Abstract

TAB1 protein having activity which activates factor TAK1 in the TGF-β signaling pathway, and having the amino acid sequence shown in FIG. 1.

1 . TAB1 protein having the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 1.  
     
     
         2 . A protein having an amino acid sequence modified by a substitution, deletion and/or addition of one or more amino acids in the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 1, and having a biological property of TAB1 protein.  
     
     
         3 . A protein encoded by DNA which can hybridize with DNA having the nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 1 under hybridization conditions of 60° C., 0.1×SSC, 0.1% sodium dodecyl sulfate, and which has a biological property of TAB1 protein.  
     
     
         4 . A protein having an amino acid sequence consisting of the amino acids from amino acid positions 21 to 579 of the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 1.  
     
     
         5 . A polypeptide having the amino acid sequence consisting of the 68 amino acids from amino acid positions 437 to 504 of the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 1.  
     
     
         6 . A protein according to claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the 52nd amino acid in the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 1 is arginine.  
     
     
         7 . A fusion protein comprising a protein or polypeptide according to any of  claims 1  to  6 .  
     
     
         8 . A method for producing a protein or polypeptide according to any of  claims 1  to  7 , comprising the steps of: 
 culturing a host transformed by an expression vector comprising DNA encoding said protein or polypeptide, and  
 recovering said protein or polypeptide from the culture.  
 
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 8 , wherein said host is a mammalian cell or yeast cell.  
     
     
         10 . A method for inducing mammalian cells to produce a protein or polypeptide according to any of  claims 1  to  7 , comprising the step of introducing DNA encoding said protein or polypeptide into mammalian cells.  
     
     
         11 . DNA encoding a protein or polypeptide according to any of  claims 1  to  7 .  
     
     
         12 . An expression vector comprising DNA according to  claim 11 .  
     
     
         13 . A host transformed by an expression vector according to  claim 12 .  
     
     
         14 . A host according to  claim 13 , wherein said host is a mammalian cell or yeast cell.  
     
     
         15 . A method for screening TGF-β signaling pathway inhibitors, characterized by (A) contacting a sample containing TGF-β signaling pathway inhibitors with or introducing it into cells expressing a TAB1 protein or polypeptide according to any of  claims 1  to  6  and TAK1 protein, and (B) measuring the kinase activity of the TAK1 protein.