The present invention relates to the discovery, identification and
characterization of nucleotides that encode novel substrate-targeting
subunits of ubiquitin ligases. The invention encompasses nucleotides
encoding novel substrate-targeting subunits of ubiquitin ligases: FBP1,
FBP2, FBP3, FBP4, FBP5, FBP6, FBP7, FBP8, FBP9, FBP10, FBP11, FBP12,
FBP13, FBP14, FBP15, FBP16, FBP17, FBP18, FBP19, FBP20, FBP21, FBP22,
FBP23, FBP24, and FBP25, transgenic mice, knock-out mice, host cell
expression systems and proteins encoded by the nucleotides of the present
invention. The present invention relates to screening assays that use the
novel substrate-targeting subunits to identify potential therapeutic
agents such as small molecules, compounds or derivatives and analogues of
the novel ubiquitin ligases which modulate activity of the novel
ubiquitin ligases for the treatment of proliferative and differentiative
disorders, such as cancer, major opportunistic infections, immune
disorders, certain cardiovascular diseases, and inflammatory disorders.
The invention further encompasses therapeutic protocols and
pharmaceutical compositions designed to target ubiquitin ligases and
their substrates for the treatment of proliferative disorders.