Method for the screening, the detection and/or the quantification of transcriptional factors

1. A screening and/or quantification method of one or more activated transcriptional factors(s) present in a cell or cell lysate, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) binding to an insoluble solid support double-stranded DNA sequence(s) at the concentration of at least 0.01 pmole/cm 2 of said solid support surface, wherein the solid support is an array bearing at least 4 spots/cm 2 of solid support surface, each spot containing double-stranded DNA sequence(s) for the binding of activated transcriptional factor(s), said double-stranded DNA sequence comprising a specific sequence, said specific sequence being able to bind said one or more activated transcriptional factor(s) and said double-stranded DNA sequence being connected to the surface of the solid support by a spacer wherein said spacer is a double-stranded DNA nucleotide sequence of between about 50 and about 250 base pairs, or wherein the spacer comprises a double-stranded DNA nucleotide sequence of between about 50 and about 250 base pairs, and wherein said double-stranded DNA nucleotide sequence of between about 50 and about 250 base pairs is not present in said cell;

(b) putting into contact said one or more activated transcriptional factor(s) with said bound double-stranded DNA sequence(s); and

(c) identifying and/or quantifying a signal specific for the binding of said activated transcriptional factor(s) upon said double-stranded DNA sequence(s).

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the transcriptional factor is present in solution at concentration lower than 20 nmolar (nM).

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the signal resulting from the binding of the activated transcriptional factor upon the double-stranded DNA sequence is a non-radioactive signal.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the signal resulting from the binding of the activated transcriptional factor upon the double-stranded DNA sequence is obtained through an enzymatic reaction.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said activated transcriptional factors are present in same biological sample.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said activated transcriptional factors are selected from the group consisting of NF-KB, AP-1, CREB, SP-1, C/EBP, GR, HIF-1, Myc, NF-AT, Oct, TBP, CBF-1 and factors listed in table 1.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said one or more activated transcriptional factors are put into contact with said bound double-stranded DNA sequence(s) upon same support or upon same multiwell plate.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the binding of the double-stranded DNA sequence(s) to the solid support is of non-covalent type and includes a binding pair comprising a first member and a second member, said first member being bound to the double-stranded DNA sequence, said second member being bound to the surface of the solid support.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said binding pair is biotin/streptavidin.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the binding pair is selected from the group consisting of biotin/streptavidin, hapten/receptor and antigen/antibody binding pair.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the double-stranded DNA sequence(s) are covalently bound to the surface of the insoluble solid support.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the double-stranded DNA sequence comprises repeated specific sequences.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the double-stranded DNA sequences fixed on the support surface contain one or several of the specific DNA sequences presented in the table 1.

14. The method according to claim 1 , comprising the step of identifying at least one characteristic specific of the transcriptional factor activation.

15. The method according to claim 1 , which comprises the steps of screening, quantifying and/or recovering compounds able to bind to said activated transcriptional factor(s) or inhibit the binding of said activated transcriptional factor(s) to the specific sequence upon the double-stranded DNA sequence(s) bound to said solid support.

16. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises prior to step (b) the step of contacting said cells with a candidate compound which is being evaluated to determine whether it modulates the binding and/or activity of the said activated transcriptional factor(s).

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step (c) comprises the step of identifying activated transcriptional factor(s) and/or peptides which are part of the activated transcriptional factor(s) complex.

18. The method according to claim 1 , which comprises the step of adding in the cell lysate an externally added transcriptional factor or a compound which is able to bind to the specific sequence.

19. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step b) comprises putting into contact said one or more activated transcriptional factor(s) in a cell lysate with said bound double-stranded DNA sequence(s).

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein said identifying and/or quantifying said signal is obtained, detected and/or quantified by addition of antibodies specific for the activated transcriptional factor(s).

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein said identifying and/or quantifying said signal is obtained, detected and/or quantified by addition of antibodies specific for compounds involved in the formation of an activation complex comprising said transcriptional factors.

22. A screening and/or quantification method of one or more activated transcriptional factors(s) present in a cell or cell lysate, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) binding to an insoluble solid support double-stranded DNA sequence(s) at the concentration of at least 0.01 pmole/cm 2 of said solid support surface, wherein the solid support is an array bearing at least 4 spots/cm 2 of solid support surface, each spot containing double-stranded DNA sequence(s) for the binding of activated transcriptional factor(s), said double-stranded DNA sequence comprising a specific sequence, said specific sequence being able to bind said one or more activated transcriptional factor(s) and said double-stranded DNA sequence being connected to the surface of the solid support by a spacer wherein said spacer is a double-stranded DNA nucleotide sequence of between about 50 and about 250 base pairs, or wherein the spacer comprises a double-stranded DNA nucleotide sequence of between about 50 and about 250 base pairs, and wherein said double-stranded DNA nucleotide sequence of between about 50 and about 250 base pairs is not present in said cell;

(b) putting into contact said one or more activated transcriptional factor(s) with said bound double-stranded DNA sequence(s); and

(c) identifying and/or quantifying a signal specific for the binding of said activated transcriptional factor(s) upon said double-stranded DNA sequence(s), wherein said activated transcriptional factor is the HIV integrase.