The present invention provides a novel protein containing an armadillo
repeat, a gene encoding this protein, and production and use thereof. The
present inventors identified a gene named ALEX1 encoding a human-derived
novel armadillo repeat-containing protein. It was clarified that ALEX1
interacts with several proteins including insulin-degrading enzyme,
presenilin-1, and JNK interacting protein 1. This gene shows
significantly decreased expression in cancer cells. The protein ALEX1 and
the gene encoding this protein are usable as tools in testing for
diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's disease and developing
pharmaceutical agents.