Patent ID: 7723046

Claim:
A method of screening for a compound having an activity to inhibit the binding between a protein peptide thereof and a ligand or analog thereof which binds to the protein wherein said protein is selected from the group consisting of (i) a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2; (ii) a protein encoded by a DNA comprising the coding region of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1; (iii) a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 with one to three amino acid substitutions, deletions, additions and/or insertions, wherein said protein is a guanosine triphosphate-binding protein-coupled receptor protein; and (iv) a protein is encoded by a DNA having a sequence that hybridizes to the DNA consisting of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, under conditions of hybridization in 6×SSC, 40% formamide at 25° C. and washing in 0.2×SSC at 55° C. wherein said DNA encodes a guanosine triphosphate-binding protein-coupled receptor which binds to one or more bile acid ligands selected from the group consisting of cholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid, deoxycholic acid, and lithocholic acid, or the full complement of said DNA, and wherein said method comprises the steps of: (a) contacting a ligand or analog thereof which binds to the protein with the protein in the presence of a test compound, and detecting the binding activity of the protein to the ligand or analog thereof; and (b) comparing the binding activity detected in step (a) to that detected when the ligand or analog thereof is contacted with the protein in the absence of the test compound; and (c) selecting the compound which shows decreased binding activity between the protein and the ligand or analog thereof so compared in step (b).