Functional Assay Measures cAMP Activation, Inhibition in Primary Screens; Adenylyl Cyclase Activation FlashPlate Assay is Homogeneous, Suited to HTS.

BOSTON--(BW HealthWire)--Aug. 25, 1999--

A generic functional screen for Gi- and Gs- protein-coupled receptor targets that directly measures adenosine 3', 5' cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) production and inhibition in live cells is available from NEN(R) Life Science Products. The patented Adenylyl Cyclase Activation FlashPlate(R) Assay is a homogeneous, microplate-based assay that can discriminate between agonists and antagonists at the primary screening stage, to speed up the drug discovery process.

The technology of the Adenylyl Cyclase Activation FlashPlate Assay is patented by NEN (U.S. patent 5,739,001). As a homogeneous assay, it runs faster and requires fewer steps than conventional methods used to measure G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) response. The assay requires no in-plate culture, sample transfers, washes, cAMP extraction, aspiration or separation. Because it directly measures the second messenger cAMP, results are accurate and physiologically relevant, permitting qualification of lead compounds earlier than is possible through other primary screening methods. And, unlike conventional radioligand-based assays, which rely upon competition binding, the Adenylyl Cyclase Activation FlashPlate Assay can also be used to characterize orphan receptors.

The Adenylyl Cyclase Activation FlashPlate Assay is both sensitive (0.2 pmole/well detection) and reproducible (total assay CV is typically 5%), is easy to automate, and fully compatible with high throughput screening (HTS). It is available from stock in kits with two or five 96-well plates (SMP004 and SMP004A, respectively), and may be custom ordered in larger quantities and in a 384-well format. Kits include cAMP [125I] tracer, liquid stimulation and detection buffers, lyophilized cAMP standard, and plate covers.

NEN Life Science Products is a provider of fluorescent, chemiluminescent and radioactive labeling and detection products for life science research, drug discovery, and genomics applications. For further information, contact: NEN(R) Life Science Products, Inc., 549 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA. Telephone: [phone] (U.S. only) or [phone]. Fax: [phone]. In Europe, call: [phone], or fax: [phone]. Website: www.nenlifesci.com.

Adenylyl Cyclase Activation FlashPlate Assay is protected under US Patent 5,739,001 and foreign equivalents. FlashPlate is a registered trademark of Packard Instrument Company licensed exclusively to NEN(R) Life Science Products, Inc. The FlashPlate product is protected under US Patent 5,496,502 and foreign equivalents, to all of which NEN(R) Life Science Products, Inc. holds an exclusive, worldwide license.