Method of identifying transmembrane protein-interacting compounds

1. A method for screening a candidate compound for its ability to interact with at least one transmembrane protein comprising:

transfecting a eukaryotic cell with at least one nucleotide sequence encoding an NLS-containing transmembrane protein and permitting expression of the encoded protein in the cell;

contacting the cell with a candidate compound; and

determining the level of NLS-containing transmembrane protein remaining at the cell membrane by isolating the cell membrane fraction of the cell, contacting the fraction with a labelled ligand of the transmembrane protein and determining the level of binding of the ligand to the fraction;

wherein detection of an altered level of the transmembrane protein at the cell membrane relative to the level at the cell membrane in a control cell not contacted with the candidate compound indicates that the compound interacts with the transmembrane protein,

and the wild type transmembrane protein lacks an NLS and the nucleotide sequence encoding the transmembrane protein is modified to encode an NLS.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the labelled ligand is a radio-labelled ligand.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the nucleotide sequence is modified to encode an NLS selected from Table 1 or wherein the nucleotide sequence is modified to encode an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of KKFKR (SEQ ID NO: 157), PKKKRKV (SEQ ID NO: 129) and AFSAKKFKR (SEQ ID NO: 158).

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the cell is selected from the group consisting of a mammalian cell, a yeast cell, an insect cell, a nematode cell, a plant cell and a fungal cell.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmembrane protein is selected from the group consisting of a G protein coupled receptor (GPCR), a transporter, a cytokine receptor, a tyrosine kinase receptor and a low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the transmembrane protein is a GPCR.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the GPCR is selected from the group consisting of a dopamine D1 receptor, a dopamine D2 receptor, a dopamine D3 receptor, a dopamine D5 receptor, a histamine 1 receptor, a cysteinyl leukotriene receptor 1, a cysteinyl leukotriene receptor 2, an opioid receptor, a muscarinic receptor, a serotonin receptor, a beta2-adrenergic receptor, and a metabotropic glutamate 4 receptor.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the transmembrane protein is a transporter selected from the group consisting of a dopamine transporter and a serotonin transporter, a cytokine receptor selected from the group consisting of an erythropoietin receptor and an insulin receptor, a tyrosine kinase receptor selected from the group consisting of an epidermal growth factor receptor and an insulin receptor or a low density lipoprotein receptor.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the cell is transfected with a plurality of nucleotide sequences, each of said sequences encoding a protein comprising a different transmembrane protein containing at least one NLS and wherein each of said nucleotide sequences encodes a protein having a different labelled ligand or wherein at least one labelled ligand is common to at least two encoded proteins.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein detection of an altered distribution of the transmembrane protein comprises detection of a reduced level or an increased level of the labelled ligand associated with the cell membrane.

11. The method of claim 4 wherein the mammalian cell is selected from the group consisting of HEK, COS and CHO cells.