Old-35, a gene associated with senescence and terminal cell differentiation, and uses thereof

An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid encoding a protein having a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:2 operatively linked to a promoter element.

An isolated protein comprising an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:2.

A method of promoting terminal differentiation in a cell comprising introducing, into the cell, an old-35 nucleic acid operatively linked to a promoter element, such that an amount of OLD-35 protein is produced sufficient to increase at least one indicia of terminal differentiation.

A method of promoting senescence in a cell comprising introducing, into the cell, an old-35 nucleic acid operatively linked to a promoter element, such that an amount of OLD-35 protein is produced sufficient to increase at least one indicia of senescence.

A method of reversing a transformed phenotype of a cell comprising introducing, into the cell, an old-35 nucleic acid operatively linked to a promoter element, such that an amount of OLD-35 protein is produced sufficient to decrease at least one indicia of the transformed phenotype.

A method of decreasing the rate of cell proliferation comprising introducing, into the cell, an old-35 nucleic acid operatively linked to a promoter element, such that an amount of OLD-35 protein is produced sufficient to decrease the rate of cell proliferation.

A method of promoting terminal differentiation in a cell comprising introducing, into the cell, an amount of OLD-35 protein sufficient to increase at least one indicia of terminal differentiation.

A method of promoting senescence in a cell comprising introducing, into the cell, an amount of OLD-35 protein sufficient to increase at least one indicia of senescence.

A method of reversing a transformed phenotype of a cell comprising introducing, into the cell, an amount of OLD-35 protein sufficient to decrease at least one indicia of the transformed phenotype.

A method of decreasing the rate of cell proliferation comprising introducing, into the cell, an amount of OLD-35 protein sufficient to decrease the rate of cell proliferation.

An isolated nucleic acid comprising an old-35 promoter having a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:4.

An isolated nucleic acid comprising an old-35 promoter which hybridizes to a nucleic acid molecule having a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:4, or its complementary strand, under stringent conditions.

An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising an old-35 promoter, which is p2000 as depicted in FIG. 5A.

An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising an old-35 promoter, which is p1000 as depicted in FIG. 5A.

An isolated nucleic acid comprising an old-35 promoter, which is p400 as depicted in FIG. 5A.

An isolated nucleic acid comprising an old-35 promoter, which is p2000/−400 as depicted in FIG. 5A.

An isolated nucleic acid comprising an old-35 promoter, which is p400/−60 as depicted in FIG. 5A.

An isolated nucleic acid comprising an old-35 promoter, which is p400-mISRE as depicted in FIG. 5A and comprising a nucleic acid having a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:7.

A nucleic acid molecule comprising an old-35 promoter operatively linked to a gene wherein the gene is not an old-35 gene.

An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising an old-35 promoter operatively linked to a nucleic acid which encodes an OLD-35 protein.

A cell containing an old-35 promoter operatively linked to a heterologous gene of interest.

A assay method comprising exposing a cell containing an old-35 promoter linked to a gene of interest to a test agent and determining the effect of the test agent on the production of a product of the gene of interest.