Patent ID: 6893827
Filing Date: 2005-05-17
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. A method of assessing the effect of a test condition on G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) pathway activity, comprising: a) providing a cell that expresses a GPCR as a fusion protein to a first mutant form of a reporter enzyme and an interacting protein partner as a fusion protein to a second mutant form of the reporter enzyme; b) exposing the cell to a ligand for said GPCR under said test condition; and c) detecting enzymatic activity of the reporter enzyme; wherein increased reporter enzyme activity in the cell compared to that which occurs in the absence of said test condition indicates increased GPCR interaction with its interacting protein partner compared to that which occurs in the absence of said test condition, and decreased reporter enzyme activity in the cell compared to that which occurs in the absence of said test condition indicates decreased GPCR interaction with its interacting protein partner compared to that which occurs in the absence of said test condition; wherein the protein partner is an arrestin and wherein the GPCR and the first mutant form of reporter enzyme arc linked together by a polypeptide linker represented by the formula -(GGGGS)