Clarification of mechanism of anamorsin, anti-apoptotic molecule

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We identified an anti-apoptotic molecule named anamorsin, which does not show any homology to known apoptosis regulatory molecules or cell growth related molecules. Anamorsin was found to act as an anti-apoptotic molecule in vivo since anamorsin -/- mice die in late gestation due to defective definitive hematopoiesis in the fetal liver (FL). Anamorsin is predicted to work as a methyltransferase from its amino acid sequence, however, the precise mechanisms how anamorsin works have not been clarified. In order to reveal the mechanism, we tried to find the anamorsin binding molecules by yeast-two-hybrid assay. Picot (thioredoxin-like 2) was preferentially identified. We have shown that anamorsn and picot bind each other in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, it was found that anamorsin binds with picot at 11-180 amino acids (N-terminal) position, while picot binds with anamorsin at 18-117 amino acids (N-terminal) position. Picot was originally identified as protein kinase C θ (PKCθ) binding protein, and thought to inhibit PKCθ activity of cell growth and survival. It is possible that anamorsin binds with picot and might modify picot activity of PKCθ inhibition. In the future, we will focus on reciprocal actions of anamorsin and picot in the cell growth and survival.