Citation

  • Authors: Zolghadr, K., Mortusewicz, O., Rothbauer, U., Kleinhans, R., Goehler, H., Wanker, E. E., Cardoso, M. C., Leonhardt, H.
  • Year: 2008
  • Journal: Mol Cell Proteomics 7 2279-87
  • Applications: in vitro / DNA / jetPEI
  • Cell types:
    1. Name: BHK-21
      Description: Hamster Syrian Kidney Fibroblast
      Known as: BHK21, BHK 21
    2. Name: U-2 OS
      Description: Human bone osteosarcoma
      Known as: U2OS

Abstract

Genetic high throughput screens have yielded large sets of potential protein-protein interactions now to be verified and further investigated. Here we present a simple assay to directly visualize protein-protein interactions in single living cells. Using a modified lac repressor system, we tethered a fluorescent bait at a chromosomal lac operator array and assayed for co-localization of fluorescent prey fusion proteins. With this fluorescent two-hybrid assay we successfully investigated the interaction of proteins from different subcellular compartments including nucleus, cytoplasm, and mitochondria. In combination with an S phase marker we also studied the cell cycle dependence of protein-protein interactions. These results indicate that the fluorescent two-hybrid assay is a powerful tool to investigate protein-protein interactions within their cellular environment and to monitor the response to external stimuli in real time.

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