Transmembrane protein 85 from both human (TMEM85) and yeast (YGL231c) inhibit hydrogen peroxide mediated cell death in yeast

Anti-apoptotic proteins are involved in modulating the process of apoptosis. Here, we report the identification of the previously uncharacterized transmembrane domain protein 85 (TMEM85) as a novel anti-apoptotic sequence. Using growth and viability assays, we demonstrate that the heterologous expression of human TMEM85 in yeast promotes growth and prevents cell death in response to oxidative stress. Overexpression of the yeast TMEM85 ortholog (YGL231c) also leads to increased resistance to oxidative stress. Analysis of the existing TMEM85 DNA complimentary to mRNAs revealed that the human TMEM85 gene is alternatively spliced to produce multiple transcripts and proteins. Thus TMEM85 is a complex gene that encodes a novel conserved anti-apoptotic protein.