Functional cloning of genes that suppress oxidative stress-induced cell death: TCTP prevents hydrogen peroxide-induced cell death.

We used retroviral-mediated expression cloning to identify cDNAs that inhibit cell death induced by oxidative stress. To isolate the genes, we introduced a murine embryonic retroviral cDNA library into NIH/3T3 cells, and selected for cells resistant to hydrogen peroxide. The surviving cells were cloned, and the integrated cDNAs were rescued by polymerase chain reaction. Several of the isolated cDNAs are known to be involved in modulating the redox state of cells. Other cDNAs encode proteins known to suppress apoptosis caused by reasons other than oxidative stress. These included polyadenylate-binding protein, cytosolic 1 (Pabpc1) and translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP).