Patent ID: 8198031

Claim:
A method of detecting one or more complexes of proteins, wherein each complex comprises a first protein and one or more second proteins, the method comprising the steps of: providing for each of the one or more complexes a cleaving probe specific for a first protein in each of the one or more complexes, each cleaving probe comprises a cleavage-inducing moiety attached to a binding agent that specifically binds to said first protein in each of the one or more complexes; providing one or more binding compounds specific for a second protein of each of the one or more complexes, such that each binding compound comprises one or more molecular tags each attached to a binding moiety through a cleavable linkage, wherein said binding moiety specifically binds to said second protein of each of the one or more complexes, and such that the one or more molecular tags attached to different binding moieties have different separation characteristics so that upon separation molecular tags from different binding compounds form distinct peaks in a separation profile; mixing the cleaving probes, the binding compounds, and the one or more complexes such that cleaving probes specifically bind to first proteins of the complexes and binding compounds specifically bind to the second proteins of the complexes such that the cleavable linkages of the binding compounds are within the effective proximity of the cleavage-inducing moieties of the cleaving probes so that the molecular tags are released; and separating and identifying the released molecular tags to determine the presence or absence or the amount of one or more complexes of proteins.