LFG: An anti-apoptotic gene that provides protection from Fas-mediated cell death

Programmed cell death regulates a number of biological phenomena. and the a poptotic signal must itself be tightly controlled to avoid inappropriate ce ll death. We established a genetic screen to search for molecules that inhi bit the apoptotic: signal from the Fas receptor. Here we report the isolati on of a gene. LFG, that protects cells uniquely from Fas but not from the m echanistically related tumor necrosis factor alpha death signal. LFG is wid ely distributed, but remarkably is highly expressed in the hippocampus. LFC can bind to the Fas receptor, but does not regulate Fas expression or inte rfere with binding of an agonist antibody. Furthermore LFC does not inhibit binding of FADD to Fas.