Patent ID: 6551773
Filing Date: 2003-04-22
Classification: C07K,G01N

Abstract:
A method to identify compounds which relieve the suppression of steroid/thyroid hormone receptor activity caused by a co-suppressor having a structure and function characteristic of the silencing mediator for retinoic acid and thyroid hormone receptors, said method comprisingdetermining the effect of a test compound on the size of a complex which comprises said co-suppressor and a homodimeric or heterodimeric member of the steroid/thyroid hormone superfamily of receptors, wherein said member contains a silencing domain which represses basal level promoter activity of target genes, wherein said co-suppressor comprises amino acid residues 1-1329 plus 1376-1495, as set forth in SEQ ID NO:1, or conservative amino acid variations thereof, wherein said co-suppressor forms a complex with at least one member of the steroid/thyroid hormone superfamily of receptors and optionally a response element for said member, thereby mediating transcriptional silencing, wherein said transcriptional silencing is relieved in the presence of a ligand for said member of the steroid/thyroid hormone superfamily of receptors, and wherein a decrease in size of said complex in the presence of said test compound is indicative of a compound that disrupts the complex and relieves the suppression of said receptor activity.