Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
(a)
Compound (inhibitor)
(b)
Compound (displacer)
(c)
Compound (inhibitor)
(d)
Compound (inhibitor)
FIGURE 12.6
Cell-based assays: (a) functional cell-based assay; (b) binding cell-based
assay; (c) reporter gene assay using a reporter with a directly measurable optical property; (d)
reporter gene assay using a reporter with catalytic activity measured through fluorogenic or
luminogenic substrates. (
See insert for color representation of the figure
.)
these groups is not always unambiguous, as multiple intracellular events could lead
to a similar outcome that is being observed, especially in the plate-reader assays.
Functional cell-based assays are illustrated by an assay diagram in Figure 12.6a.
In this assay, a protein with catalytic activity (e.g., a protease, as shown in the
figure) is expressed in the cell along with its substrate. Active enzyme would cleave
the substrate, and inhibiting activity of the enzyme should lead to accumulation
