Patent ID: 7575874
Filing Date: 2009-08-18
Classification: B82Y,G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method for detecting a fusion protein's presence in a cell using a set of molecular probes comprising at least a first and a second molecular probe, each molecular probe able to recognize a binding site positioned at opposite sides of the fusion protein's fusion region, each molecular probe further directly conjugated to a dye wherein said dyes together allow energy transfer, the first and the second molecular probes directly conjugated to a reactive group that modulates the molecular probes' spatial organization after binding to a molecule of interest such that an increased likelihood of energy transfer exists between said dyes, wherein a reactive group of said first molecular probe is not involved in binding to the molecule of interest and not directly reactive with said second molecular probe, said method comprising: providing the set of molecular probes, providing a sample comprising a cell, contacting said sample with said set of probes under conditions that allow binding of said molecular probes directly to any such fusion protein within said sample, contacting said molecular probes with a substance comprising at least two identical binding sites for the reactive group and able to link at least a reactive group of said first molecular probe to at least a reactive group of said second molecular probe, and detecting juxtaposition of said molecular probes via fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) to determine any such fusion protein's presence.