A GAL4-based yeast three-hybrid system for the identification of small molecule-target protein interactions

We report the development of a yeast strain designed for assaying compound-protein interactions through activation of reporter gene expression. Activation of lacZ expression, driven by the GAL4 promoter, has been demonstrated for precedented compound-protein interactions between FK506 and FK506 binding protein 12 (FKBP12) and also between methotrexate (MTX) and dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). Reporter gene expression was completely abrogated in a competitive manner by the presence of excess FK506 or MTX, respectively. In addition, a strain expressing a mutated DHFR clone with decreased binding affinity for MTX was not capable of activating reporter gene expression. While strain sensitivity is compound-dependent, the minimum compound concentration necessary to drive reporter gene expression was 20 nM for the FK506-FKBP12 interaction. The utility of this strain as a tool for identifying unknown compound-binding proteins has been demonstrated by screening a mouse cDNA library for clones that encode proteins capable of binding MTX. Four library clones of mouse DHFR were identified after screening 5 x 10(6) clones. The screen background was low and false positives were easily identified, making this yeast system particularly amenable for use in a screening context for novel compound-protein interactions.