High content screening biosensor assay to identify disruptors of p53-hDM2 protein-protein interactions

Methods Mol Biol. 2015:1278:555-65. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2425-7_37.

Abstract

This chapter describes the implementation of the p53-hDM2 protein-protein interaction (PPI) biosensor (PPIB) HCS assay to identify disruptors of p53-hDM2 PPIs. Recombinant adenovirus expression constructs were generated bearing the individual p53-GFP and hDM2-RFP PPI partners. The N-terminal p53 transactivating domain that contains the binding site for hDM2 is expressed as a GFP fusion protein that is targeted and anchored in the nucleolus of infected cells by a nuclear localization (NLS) sequence. The p53-GFP biosensor is localized to the nucleolus to enhance and facilitate the image acquisition and analysis of the PPIs. The N-terminus of hDM2 encodes the domain for binding to the transactivating domain of p53, and is expressed as a RFP fusion protein that includes both an NLS and a nuclear export sequence (NES). In U-2 OS cells co-infected with both adenovirus constructs, the binding interactions between hDM2 and p53 result in both biosensors becoming co-localized within the nucleolus. Upon disruption of the p53-hDM2 PPIs, the p53-GFP biosensor remains in the nucleolus while the shuttling hDM2-RFP biosensor redistributes into the cytoplasm. p53-hDM2 PPIs are measured by acquiring fluorescent images of cells co-infected with both adenovirus biosensors on an automated HCS imaging platform and using an image analysis algorithm to quantify the relative distribution of the hDM2-RFP shuttling component of the biosensor between the cytoplasm and nuclear regions of compound treated cells.

MeSH terms

  • Binding Sites
  • Biosensing Techniques*
  • Cytoplasm / metabolism
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / chemistry
  • Humans
  • Nuclear Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Interaction Mapping / methods*
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / chemistry
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / chemistry
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / metabolism*

Substances

  • CNBP protein, human
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • RNA-Binding Proteins
  • TP53 protein, human
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins