Patent ID: 8663937

Claim:
A method of identifying a compound capable of binding to a 24-hydroxylated vitamin D compound receptor, the method comprising: (a) contacting a 24-hydroxylated vitamin D compound receptor with a candidate compound wherein said 24-hydroxylated vitamin D compound receptor comprises either the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, or said sequence comprising conservative amino acid substitutions thereof; and (b) determining whether the candidate compound binds to the 24-hydroxylated vitamin D compound receptor, wherein binding is detected by an assay selected from the group consisting of: i) a receptor competition assay, wherein said receptor is contacted with said candidate compound, wherein said candidate compound is labeled in the presence of an excess of unlabeled 24,25(OH) 2 -vitamin D 3 , and binding of said labeled candidate compound in the presence of excess unlabeled 24,25(OH) 2 -vitamin D 3 indicates said compound is capable of binding to said receptor, ii) an assay that measures changes in the impedance of a cell layer that occur in response to said receptor binding to said candidate compound; iii) an assay that measures the activation of a member of the ATF family of transcription factors; and iv) an assay that measures the activation of protein kinase A.