Patent ID: 7422856

Claim:
A method of identifying compounds that modulate transcriptional activation in a target cell comprising: a contacting a target cell with a test compound, wherein the target cell comprises (i) a first nucleic acid encoding an amyloid-β precursor protein (APP) fusion protein comprising a modified cytoplasmic tail of the AAP, protein wherein the cytoplasmic tail is modified to include a heterologous DNA-binding domain of a transcription factor and a transcriptional activator of the same or a different transcription factor, and (ii) a second nucleic acid encoding a reporter gene whose transcription is regulated by the DNA-binding domain of a transcription factor contained in the APP fusion protein; and (iii) a third nucleic acid encoding a Mint 2 protein (SEQ ID NO:13); (b) measuring the levels of reporter gene transcription that occurs in the presence and absence of the test compound; and (c) comparing the levels of reporter gene transcription measured in step (b) wherein increased or decreased levels of reporter gene transcription in the presence of the test compound indicate that the compound modulates transcriptional activation.