Calcineurin interacting protein compositions and methods

摘要

An identification and characterization of a calcineurin interacting protein effective to enhance immunosuppressive effects of calcineurin-targeted immunosuppressants by potentiating an interaction of an immunophilin with calcineurin is described herein. One embodiment of the invention is the CNI polypeptide encoded by the CNI gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Polynucleotides encoding a CNI protein are also described. Also described are yeast cells carrying mutations in the CNI gene. Further, a method of identifying a small molecule immunosuppressant compound is described. The methods include the use of a cell-based two hybrid protein-protein interaction assay, wherein one of two fusion hybrid proteins in a cell contains a subunit of calcineurin, and the other of two fusion hybrid proteins contains an immunophilin.