Abstract: The present invention addresses the problem of providing an ultraviolet light-induced inflammation suppressing agent. The present invention is based on the finding that an alternative autophagy (Atg5/Atg7-independent autophagy) participates in the suppression of ultraviolet light-induced inflammation. Thus, the above problem is solved by providing an alternative autophagy inducing agent.

Abstract: It has been found that efficient screening for a compound having anticancer activity can be achieved by selecting a compound having activity to induce alternative autophagy using, as an index, formation of fluorescent bright spots due to aggregation of a lysosomal protein to which a fluorescent protein is attached in cells expressing the lysosomal protein.

Abstract: It has been found that efficient screening for a compound having anticancer activity can be achieved by selecting a compound having activity to induce alternative autophagy using, as an index, formation of fluorescent bright spots due to aggregation of a lysosomal protein to which a fluorescent protein is attached in cells expressing the lysosomal protein.

Abstract: To provide a screening method for an apoptosis-suppressing substance or an apoptosis-promoting substance, the application of which substances to pharmaceuticals or diagnostic drugs are expected, also to provide an apoptosis-suppressing substance or an apoptosis-promoting substance, since Bcl-2 family having apoptosis-suppressing or -promoting activities is deeply involved in many diseases. To attain the above object, VDAC-liposomes, an indicator substance such as fluorescent-labeled cytochrome c or isotope-labeled sucrose etc. capable of passing through VDAC (voltage-dependent anion channel), and a subject substance are incubated, and then concentration changes in the indicator substance, inside and outside the VDAC-liposomes before and after the incubation, are detected in order to estimate presence or absence of the apoptosis-suppressing activity or -promoting activity of the subject substance.

Abstract: A BH4 fusion polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence of a polypeptide capable of exhibiting uptake action into a cell or a derivative sequence thereof; and an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of (A) an amino acid sequence comprising at least the sequence of BH4 domain (SEQ ID NO: 1) of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family protein, (B) an amino acid sequence having substitution, deletion or insertion of at least one amino acid residue in the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, and (C) an amino acid sequence having at least 50% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, wherein the BH4 fusion polypeptide is capable of inhibiting apoptosis; an apoptosis-inhibitor comprising the BH4 fusion polypeptide mentioned above; a method for treating an ischemic disease, characterized by administering the apoptosis-inhibitor mentioned above to a patient with the ischemic disease to inhibit apoptosis, thereby treating the ischemic disease; and use of the BH4 polypeptide mentioned above,