DJ-1 was identified by us as a novel oncogene in cooperation with activated ras. Although over-expression of DJ-1 has been reported in several cancer cells, including cells in breast cancer, lung cancer and prostate cancer, the precise mechanism underlying transformation has not been clarified. In this study, we screened proteins by a yeast two-hybrid method and identified Abstrakt as a DJ-1-binding protein. Abstrakt is an RNA helicase, but it has not yet been characterized. Northern blot analysis showed that human Abstrakt was expressed ubiquitously in all tissues. Abstrakt was then found to bind to and to be colocalized in the nucleus with DJ-1 in human cells. Furthermore, Abstrakt was found to stimulate transforming activity of DJ-1 in rat 3Y1 cells transfected with DJ-1 with activated ras. These findings suggest that Abstrakt is a positive regulator for DJ-1.

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