Patent ID: 7303885

Claim:
A method for detecting an interaction between MIF and Jab1, the method comprising a) providing a cell containing a reporter gene comprising a DNA-binding protein recognition site, wherein the reporter gene expresses a reporter protein when the reporter gene is activated by a transcriptional activation domain when the transcriptional activation domain is in sufficient proximity to the reporter gene; b) providing a first chimeric gene that is operably linked to expression control sequences in host cells, the first chimeric gene comprising a DNA sequence that encodes a first hybrid protein, the first hybrid protein comprising: i) a DNA-binding domain that recognizes the DNA-binding protein recognition site of the reporter gene in the cell; and ii) the MIF protein or a part thereof; c) providing a second chimeric gene that is operably linked to expression control sequence in the host cell, the second chimeric gene comprising a DNA sequence that encodes a second hybrid protein, the second hybrid protein comprising i) the transcriptional activation domain, and ii) the Jab1 protein or a part thereof; iii) wherein interaction between the MIF protein and the Jab1 in the cell causes the transcriptional activation domain to activate transcription of the reporter gene; d) introducing the first chimeric gene and the second chimeric gene into the cell; e) expressing the first hybrid protein and the second hybrid protein in sufficient quantity for the reporter gene to be activated; and f) determining expression of the reporter gene wherein the expression measures MIF-Jab1 binding.