Proteins rarely act alone and understanding how they interact with other proteins for full biological activity is essential to the understanding of protein function and associated research.
Protein-Protein interactions (PPI)
Research has shown that PPIs are pivotal in a variety of cellular processes. These include an array of cancers and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Studying the interplay between proteins in living cells allows for the development of compounds, designed to inhibit PPI, to modulate biological processes in normal and diseased tissue.
This modulation is recognised as a particularly challenging aspect of drug discovery.
Techniques and Approach
We have successfully used NanoBRET™ System (Promega) to detect PPI in living cells. NanoBRET™ is a proximity-based assay that can detect protein interactions by measuring energy transfer from a bioluminescent protein donor to a fluorescent protein acceptor.
The use of full-length proteins expressed at low levels enables PPI monitoring and screening studies that reflect true cellular physiology. NanoBRET™ is a reversible assay which makes it possible to study both induction and inhibition of protein interactions.
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