Gene reporter assay, kit and cells with improved sensitivity and/or specificity for determining the level of an extracellular signal

1. In a cell line stably transformed with a reporter gene construct comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a reporter gene product operatively linked to a transcriptional control element that is activated as part of the NFκB signal transduction pathway activated by an interaction of a first extracellular signal with a first cell surface molecule or complex, wherein the transcriptional control element is one that bound by NFκB so as to activate said transcriptional control element and thereby induce or upregulate transcription of the reporter gene, the improvement whereby the sensitivity and/or the specificity of the response of the cell line to the extracellular signal is improved, wherein:

a) said transcriptional control element is a synthetic promoter consisting of a minimal promoter and a regulatory sequence, said minimal promoter being regulated by said regulatory sequence, said regulatory sequence consisting of a plurality of response elements specific for NFκB; and

b) the cells of said cell line lack at least one functional second cell surface molecule or complex that, if present on the cell line, would interact with a second extracellular signal that is one of the principal signals known to activate the NFκB signal transduction pathway though said second cell surface molecule or complex, thereby modulating the transcription of the reporter gene and causing interference with the first extracellular signal when the cell line is used in a gene reporter assay.

2. The cell line of claim 1 , wherein said regulatory sequence consists of a synthetic nucleotide sequence that consists of a tandem repeat of the naturally occurring or consensus sequence of the binding site for NFκb.

3. The cell line of claim 2 , wherein said regulatory sequence consists of the sequence of SEQ ID NO:2.

4. The cell line of claim 1 , wherein said first extracellular signal is tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα).

5. The cell line of claim 1 , wherein the cells of said cell line have been genetically engineered to knock out at least one functional second cell surface molecule or complex.

6. The cell line of claim 1 , wherein at least the extracellular portion of said first cell surface molecule or complex is that of a first animal species and the cells of said cell line are cells of a second animal species that have been genetically engineered to knock in said first cell surface molecule or complex.

7. The cell line of claim 1 , wherein said first cell surface molecule or complex is a cell surface receptor.

8. The cell line of claim 1 in a frozen state, wherein said cell line has the property that it will maintain signal transduction activity of the NFκB signal transduction pathway activated by interaction of said first extracellular signal with said first cell surface molecule or complex for at least one hour after being thawed but will lose said signal transduction activity and undergo cellular death in no more than about 30 days at a temperature above freezing after being thawed.

9. The cell line of claim 1 , wherein said first extracellular signal is TNFα and said first cell surface molecule or complex is TNFα receptor.

10. The cell line according to claim 1 , wherein the cells of said cell line have been engineered to knock down said at least one functional second cell surface molecule or complex.

11. The cell line of claim 1 , wherein said principal signals known to activate the NFκB signal transduction pathway are selected from the group consisting of TNFα, IL-6, IL-2, IL-5, and IFN-γ.

12. A kit for determining the presence and/or level in a sample of TNFα, comprising:

a testing device having a plurality of wells; and

a reagent containing a plurality of cells of the cell line of claim 9 .

13. The kit of claim 12 , wherein said testing device is a microtiter plate.

14. The kit of claim 12 , wherein said reagent is disposed in the wells of said testing device.

15. A method for determining the level in a sample of an extracellular signal that activates the NFκB signal transduction pathway by interaction of the extracellular signal with a cell surface molecule or complex, comprising:

incubating cells of the cell line of claim 1 with a sample in which the level of an extracellular signal that activates the signal transduction activity of a cell surface molecule is sought to be determined; and

determining the level of expression of the reporter gene product in the cells to thereby determine the level in the sample of the extracellular signal that activates the signal transduction activity of the cell surface molecule or complex.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the cell surface molecule is a TNFα receptor and the extracellular signal is TNFα.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein determining the level in a sample of TNFα indirectly determines the level of a TNFα antagonist or the level of an antibody against the TNFα antagonist.

18. In a cell line stably transformed with a reporter gene construct comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a reporter gene product operatively linked to a transcriptional control element that is activated as part of the signal transduction pathway activated by an interaction of a Type II interferon with a first cell surface molecule or complex, wherein the transcriptional control element is one that is bound by STAT1-STAT1 homodimer so as to activate said transcriptional control element and thereby induce or upregulate transcription of the reporter gene, the improvement whereby the sensitivity and/or the specificity of the response of the cell line to the extracellular signal is improved, wherein:

a) said transcriptional control element is a synthetic promoter consisting of a minimal promoter and a regulatory sequence, said minimal promoter being regulated by said regulatory sequence, said regulatory sequence consisting of a gamma activated sequence (GAS); and

b) the cells of said cell line lack a functional Type I interferon receptor that, if present on the cell line, would interact with a Type I interferon and cause interference with the Type II interferon when the cell line is used in a gene reporter assay.

19. The cell line of claim 18 , wherein the GAS sequence is SEQ ID NO:3.

20. The cell line of claim 18 , wherein the GAS sequence is from IRF-1.

21. The cell line of claim 18 , wherein the GAS sequence is nucleotides 41-83 of SEQ ID NO:4.

22. The cell line of claim 18 in a frozen state, wherein said cell line has the property that it will maintain signal transduction activity activated by interaction of a Type II interferon with said first cell surface molecule or complex for at least one hour after being thawed but will lose said signal transduction activity and undergo cellular death in no more than about 30 days at a temperature above freezing after being thawed.

23. The cell line of claim 18 , wherein said Type I interferon receptor has been genetically knocked out.

24. A kit for determining the presence and/or level in a sample of IFNγ, comprising:

a testing device having a plurality of wells; and

a reagent containing a plurality of cells of the cell line of claim 18 .

25. The kit of claim 24 , wherein said testing device is a microtiter plate.

26. The kit of claim 24 , wherein said reagent is disposed in the wells of said testing device.

27. A method for determining the level in a sample of IFNγ that activates the signal transduction pathway from a Type II interferon receptor, comprising:

incubating cells of the cell line of claim 18 with a sample in which the level of IFNγ is sought to be determined; and

determining the level of expression of the reporter gene product in the cells to thereby determine the level in the sample of IFNγ.