Mitotix other research news
The Cambridge, Mass., company reported isolation of a mammalian protein, RAPT1, that appears to be one of the intracellular targets of rapamycin, an experimental drug that is effective as an anti-proliferative and immunosuppressant agent, yet is appreciably toxic. By finding the specific intracellular sites of action of the drug, the company intends to develop less toxic alternatives.
As published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a fusion of two hybrid plasmids was used to screen for rapamycin target genes. The screen identified RAPT1, a mammalian counterpart to a yeast enzyme called Tor. The yeast enzyme, when mutated, causes yeast to resist rapamycin. An analogous mutation in RAPT1 abolished its interaction with the intracellular protein FKBP12. ...