METHODS AND COMPOSITIONS FOR AMPLIFYING INTRACELLULAR SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION

摘要

Methods, cells, nucleic acid constructs and kits for identifying or assaying compounds that affect components in an intracellular signal cascade are provided. The methods of the invention generally involve contacting a cell with a test compound. If the test compound interacts with a component of a signal cascade to produce a variation in an intracellular signal, the variation alters the transcription and formation of a transactivator protein encoded by a nucleic acid construct. The transactivator in turn binds to a cognate DNA segment via its DNA binding domain and activates expression of a detectable reporter. One specific utility of such methods is in screening for compounds (e.g., agonists or antagonists) that bind to a receptor that controls signal transduction within a cell. The invention also includes nucleic acid constructs for performing such methods and cells harboring such constructs, as well as kits that include the necessary constructs for performing the methods.