Patent ID: 7223548

Claim:
A method of screening a chemical for its ability to bind to a complex of a proline-rich nuclear receptor co-regulatory protein (PNRC) and a nuclear receptor or nuclear receptor ligand binding domain, wherein said method comprises: (a) cotransfecting cells with (i) a nucleic acid encoding a PNRC comprising a peptide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:8 and SEQ ID NO:9 and (ii) a nucleic acid encoding said nuclear receptor or nuclear receptor ligand binding domain, to produce cotransfected cells which synthesize said PNRC and said nuclear receptor or nuclear receptor ligand binding domain, wherein said cotransfected cells comprise a reporter gene the expression of which depends upon said PNRC binding to said nuclear receptor or nuclear receptor ligand binding domain; (b) dividing said cotransfected cells into first and second portions; (c) growing said first portion of said cotransfected cells in the presence of said chemical to be screened; (d) growing said second portion of said cotransfected cells in the absence of said chemical to be screened; and (e) determining the level of expression of said reporter gene in said first and second portions of cells, wherein if the level of expression of said reporter gene in said first portion of cells is greater than the level of expression in said second portion of cells then said chemical binds to said complex of a PNRC and a nuclear receptor or nuclear receptor ligand binding domain.