Brain Protein I3 (BRI3)

Bri3, a novel gene, participates in tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced cell death. bri3 was identified to be a novel gene up-regulated in TNF-treated cells with suppressed subtractive hybridization (SSH). Previous studies showed that overexpression of BRI3 induced apoptosis in L929 cells.

The antisense RNA promoted resistance to TNF-induced cell death by more than 1000-fold in L929 cells, suggesting the involvement of BRI3 in TNF-induced cell death in this cell line. Analysis of cell death caused by other apoptotic inducers showed that the effect of BRI3 antisense RNA is highly specific to TNF-induced cell death. Taken together, bri3 appears to play an important role in TNF-induced cell death. BRI3 may be localized to lysosome and function through lysosome.