Patent ID: 8470745

Claim:
An in vitro method of detecting biological activity of a multiprotein complex to at least one substance, comprising the steps of: isolating by precipitation said multiprotein complex from a biological sample using a non-denaturing buffer which is 0.1% Triton X-100, 0.2% β-mercaptoethanol, 50 mM Tris-HCl, 5 mM EDTA, 5 mM EGTA, 10 mg/ml of protease inhibitor cocktail and 1 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, and has a pH of 7.5, wherein said multiprotein complex retains biological activity in vitro, said multiprotein complex comprising i) at least one protein selected from the group consisting of α-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, gamma-amino butyric acid receptor, and N-methyl d-aspartate receptor and ii) at least one scaffolding protein, wherein said multiprotein complex is immobilized on a substrate via an antibody that is attached to said substrate and is specific for said at least one, protein; washing said multiprotein complex in a reaction buffer; exposing in vitro said multiprotein complex to said at least one substance, wherein said step of exposing includes the steps of i) incubating said multiprotein complex and said at least one substance in said reaction buffer; and ii) terminating reactions of said multiprotein complex and said at least one substance using a blocking buffer; and detecting a presence or absence of a biological activity of said multiprotein complex to said at least one substance, wherein said biological activity is selected from a change in phosphorylation and a change in protein-protein interaction.