Patent ID: 7238474

Claim:
A method for detecting or determining the interaction of a first CFTR polypeptide with a second CFTR polypeptide, said method comprising: (a) providing a first polynucleotide encoding a fusion protein comprising all or a portion of a first CFTR polypeptide and a DNA binding domain of a transcriptional activator that can bind to a site on a detectable gene, wherein said first CFTR polypeptide comprises a first nucleotide binding domain (NBD 1) of a CFTR polypeptide, or a functional fragment of said NBD 1; (b) providing a second polynucleotide encoding a fusion protein comprising all or a portion of a second CFTR polypeptide and a transcriptional activation domain of a transcriptional activator that can activate transcription of said detectable gene, wherein said second CFTR polypeptide comprises a first nucleotide binding domain (NBD1) of a CFTR polypeptide, or a functional fragment of said NBD 1; (c) incorporating said first and second polynucleotide into a host cell comprising said detectable gene wherein transcription of said detectable gene is under control of said transcriptional activator; (d) expressing said polynucleotide encoding said first CFTR polypeptide and expressing said polynucleotide encoding said second CFTR polypeptide under conditions in which said detectable gene is expressed when said NBD 1 of said first CFTR polypeptide and said NBD 1 of said second CFTR polypeptide interact; and (e) detecting transcription of said detectable gene or expression of the gene product of said detectable gene.