Uses of BNIPXL-Beta in premature canities

A molecule comprising a RNAi sequence having at least 90% sequence identity with all or part of the sequence SEQ ID NO:

• 2 for therapeutic use in the treatment or prevention of premature canities in humans, said portion comprising at least 18 nucleotides.

A method for screening molecules modulating the expression of a gene coding for BNIPXL-beta in order to identify an agent for use for cosmetic or therapeutic purposes, in the field of hair pigmentation comprising the following steps:

• bringing a test molecule into the presence of a gene coding for BNIPXL-beta under conditions allowing expression of said gene in the absence of the test molecule;
• and
• detecting a variation in the level of expression of said gene due to the presence of the test molecule.

A method for screening molecules modulating the activity of the polypeptide BNIPXL-beta, to identify an agent for use for cosmetic or therapeutic purposes, in the field of hair pigmentation, comprising the following steps:

• bringing the test molecule into the presence of the polypeptide BNIPXL-beta, under conditions allowing the detection of activity of said polypeptide in the absence of the test molecule to be determined;
• and
• detecting a variation in the activity of said polypeptide due to the presence of the test molecule.

A method for diagnosing a predisposition to premature canities in an individual, comprising the following steps:

• i) assay of the level of expression of a BNIPXL-beta transcript using a body sample from said individual;
• ii) comparison with a reference level.

A method for screening molecules modulating the interaction between a BNIPXL-beta polypeptide and a polypeptide derived from translation of the DDX31 gene, to identify an agent for use for cosmetic or therapeutic purposes in the field of hair pigmentation.