Patent ID: 6787321
Filing Date: 2004-09-07
Classification: A61K,A61P,C12N,C12Q

Abstract:
A method of screening for an agent that modulates the ability of a cell to accumulate or to degrade a metabolic product, said method comprising:(i) providing a mammalian cell comprising: a nucleic acid encoding a peptide binding site and an effector gene; a first chimeric protein comprising a nucleic acid binding domain that binds said peptide binding site attached to said metabolic product or to a ligand that binds to said metabolic product; and a second chimeric protein comprising an expression control protein attached to said metabolic product or to said ligand that binds to said metabolic product such that when said first chimeric protein comprises said metabolic product, said second chimeric protein comprises said ligand and when said first chimeric protein comprises said ligand, said second chimeric protein comprises said metabolic product; (ii) contacting said cell with a test agent; and (iii) detecting an alteration of expression of said effector gene wherein a difference in the expression of said effector gene in said test cell, as compared to a control cell contacted with a lower concentration of test agent or no test agent indicates that said test agent modulates the ability of said cell to accumulate or degrade said metabolic product, wherein said mammalian cell comprises a degradation deficiency of the metabolic product.