The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 25, 2002
Filed:
May. 05, 1999
Brian A. Pollok, San Diego, CA (US);
Brian D. Hamman, Poway, CA (US);
Steven M. Rodems, Poway, CA (US);
Lewis R. Makings, Encinitas, CA (US);
Aurora Biosciences Corporation, San Diego, CA (US);
Abstract
This invention provides an optical probe useful as an optical probe or sensor of post translational type modifications, such as phosphorylation. The invention comprises a polypeptide moiety, which contains a recognition motif for a post translational type activity and a protease site, which is coupled to a probe moiety. Modification of the polypeptide, by the post translational type activity, results in a modulation of the rate at which a protease cleaves the polypeptide which is sensed by a measurable change in at least one optical property of the optical probe upon cleavage. The present invention also includes a recombinant nucleic acid molecule that encodes an optical probe and a vector and host cell or library of cells that include the recombinant nucleic acid molecule. The optical probe can be used in methods to determine whether a sample, including a cell or a sample from an organism, contains a post-translational type modification activity. Such methods can also be used to determine whether a test chemical modulates the activity of a modifying activity, and thus can be used to identify therapeutic compositions. The identification of such therapeutic compositions can be automated using a system that includes an optical probe.