| abstract |
The invention provides a method to modulate mRNA translation termination efficiency and / or to promote the degradation of aberrant transcripts; also, this invention provides a method for selecting an active drug that affects the increase in translation termination, and a method for identifying a disease state that involves the defective protein complex; This invention provides a purified complex comprising an amount of a human Upf1p protein, a eukaryotic peptidyl release factor 1 (eRF1) and a eukaryotic peptidyl release factor 3 (eRF3), effective for modulating translation termination; In addition, this invention provides an expression vector comprising a nucleic acid encoding a human Upfip protein, a eukaryotic peptidyl release factor 1 (eRFI) and a eukaryotic peptidyl release factor 3 (eRF3), bound in a manner operable to a regulatory element; This invention provides an antibody that binds to the complex comprising an amount of a human Upf1p protein, a eukaryotic peptidyl release factor 1 (eRF1) and a eukaryotic peptidyl release factor 3 (eRF3), effective to modulate termination of translation; this invention provides an agent that inhibits or modulates the binding of human Upf1p to eRF1 or eRF3; The agent can inhibit or facilitate the binding of human Upf1 p to eRF1 or eRF3. |