Development and validation of a generic fluorescent methyltransferase activity assay based on the transcreener AMP/GMP assay.

Methylation is a ubiquitous covalent modification used to control the function of diverse biomolecules including hormones, neurotransmitters, xenobiotics, proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids. Histone methyltransferases (HMTs) are currently of high interest as drug targets because of their role in epigenetic regulation; however, most HMT assay methods are either not amenable to a high-throughput screening (HTS) environment or are applicable to a limited number of enzymes. The authors developed a generic methyltransferase assay method using fluorescent immunodetection of adenosine monophosphate (AMP), which is formed from the MT reaction product S-adenosylhomocysteine in a dual-enzyme coupling step. The detection range of the assay; its suitability for HTS, including stability of reagents following dispensing and after addition to reactions; and the potential for interference from drug-like molecules was investigated. In addition, the use of the assay for measuring inhibitor potencies with peptide or intact protein substrates was examined through pilot screening with selected reference enzymes including HMT G9a. By combining a novel enzymatic coupling step with the well-characterized Transcreener AMP/GMP assay, the authors have developed a robust HTS assay for HMTs that should be broadly applicable to other types of methyltransferases as well.

Characterization and optimization of a red-shifted fluorescence polarization ADP detection assay.

ATP depletion and ADP formation are generic detection methods used for the identification of kinase and other ATP-utilizing enzyme inhibitors in high-throughput screening campaigns. However, the most widely used nucleotide detection approaches require high ATP consumption rates or involve the use of coupling enzymes, which can complicate the selection of lead compounds. As an alternative, we have developed the Transcreener (BellBrook Labs, Madison, WI) platform, which relies on the direct immunodetection of nucleotides. Here we describe the development of antibodies with >100-fold selectivity for ADP versus ATP, which enable robust detection of initial velocity rates (Z' > 0.7 at 10% substrate consumption) at ATP concentrations ranging from 0.1 microM to 1,000 microM in a competitive fluorescence polarization (FP) immunoassay. Competitive binding experiments indicate similar affinities for other nucleotide diphosphates, including 2' -deoxy ADP, GDP, and UDP. The antibody-tracer complex and the red-shifted, ratiometric FP signal are stable for at least 24 h at room temperature, providing suitable conditions for high-throughput screening. A method for calculating a kinase ATP Km with this FP immunoassay is also presented. The Transcreener ADP assay provides a simple, generic assay platform for inhibitor screening and selectivity profiling that can be used for any ADP-generating enzyme.

Evaluating PI3 kinase isoforms using Transcreener ADP assays.

Development of drugs targeting lipid kinases has been delayed by the lack of robust screening assays. Methods are needed that can accommodate the presentation of different acceptor substrates in the optimal lipid environment. The Transcreener ADP Assay relies on homogeneous immunodetection of adenosine diphosphate (ADP), using either fluorescence polarization (FP) or time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET) as a signal output. Detection of ADP--the invariant product of all kinase reactions--provides complete flexibility for varying lipid substrate parameters. The authors used this assay to optimize dispersal methods for C8 and C16 phosphatidylinositol 4,5 bisphosphate substrates and to assess the effects of chain length on the activity and inhibition of phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) isoforms. The nonphysiological C8 substrate supported the highest activity. Known inhibitors were profiled using both the FP- and TR-FRET-based assays, and there was excellent concordance (r(2)=0.93) in the IC(50) values. The overall rank order of inhibitors was the same using the C8 and C16 substrates, except for minor deviations. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) hydrolysis in the absence of substrate was detected with the PI3Kalpha isoform, and inhibitors affected PI3Kalpha intrinsic ATP hydrolysis activity similarly to lipid phosphorylation.