Patent ID: 7049076

Claim:
A method for determining if a test compound modulates a specific protein/protein interaction of interest, comprising contacting said compound to a cell which has been transformed or transfected with: (a) a first nucleic acid molecule which encodes a first, fusion protein, said first nucleic acid molecule comprising: (i) a nucleotide sequence which encodes a first test protein, (ii) a nucleotide sequence encoding a cleavage site for a protease or a portion of a protease, and (iii) a nucleotide sequence which encodes a protein which activates a reporter gene in said cell, and (b) a second nucleic acid molecule which encodes a second, fusion protein, said second nucleic acid molecule comprising: (i) a nucleotide sequence which encodes a second test protein whose interaction with said first test protein in the presence of said test compound is to be measured, and (ii) a nucleotide sequence which encodes a protease or a portion of a protease which is specific for said cleavage site, and determining activity of said reporter gene as a determination of whether said compound modulates said protein/protein interaction.