ASSAY METHODS AND COMPOSITIONS FOR DETECTING AND EVALUATING THE INTRACELLULAR TRANSDUCTION OF AN EXTRACELLULAR SIGNAL

摘要

Transcription based assays that identify extracellular signals that modulate the activity of cell surface proteins are provided. Extracellular signals are identified by measuring the amount of transcription of a reporter gene in a recombinant cell that expresses the cell surface protein and contains DNA encoding the reporter gene under the transcriptional control of a promoter that is regulated, directly or indirectly, by he cell surface protein. The assays provide a means for identifying potential pharmaceutical compounds that can be used to treat disease by virtue of their agonistic or antagonistic effects on the cell surface protein. Recombinant cells that express cell surface receptors and that contain reporter gene constructs that include transcriptional regulatory elements that are responsive to the activity of the cell surface receptors are also provided.