METHODS OF IDENTIFYING COMPOUNDS THAT ACT AS AGONISTS OR ANTAGONISTS FOR PROTEINS INVOLVED IN SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION

摘要

A method for identifying a chemical that acts as an agonist for a G-protein coupled cell surface (GPC) receptor. The method comprises introducing to test cells of a pigment cell line capable of dispersing or aggregating their pigment in response to a specific stimulus and expressing an exogenous clone coding for the GPC receptor, a stimulant that sets an initial state of pigment disposition wherein the pigment is aggregated within the test cells if activation of the exogenous GPC receptor induces pigment dispersion, or introducing a stimulant that sets an initial state of pigment disposition wherein the pigment is dispersed within the test cells if activation of the exogenous GPC receptor induces pigment aggregation; contacting the test cells set in an initial state of pigment disposition with the test chemical; and determining whether the pigment disposition in the test cells treated with the chemical is changed from the initial state of pigment disposition, wherein a change in pigment disposition observed in the test cells expressing the exogenous GPC receptor indicates that the chemical is an agonist for the exogenous GPC receptor.