Assays for high-throughput screening of E2 AND E3 ubiquitin ligases

We developed a series of assays for biochemical activities involving ubiquitin. These assays use electrochemiluminescence detection to measure the ubiquitylation of target proteins. To enable electrochemiluminescence detection, the target proteins were prepared as bacterially expressed fusion proteins and captured on the surface of specially designed microtiter plates having integrated electrodes. Ubiquitylation was quantitated directly, through the use of ubiquitin labeled with an electrochemiluminescent label, or indirectly, through the use of labeled antiubiquitin antibodies. Assays were carried out in both 96-well and 384-well plates. The success of the assay with this variety of formats allowed the selection of optimal work flows for specific applications on the basis of ease of use and overall reagent consumption and availability. We used our ubiquitylation assays to measure the activities of E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes and E3 class ubiquitin ligases. Signal/background ratios for many of our assays were greater than 50, significantly facilitating their conversion to high-throughput practice in a convenient manner. The speed, sensitivity, and convenience of the assay formats makes them well suited for comprehensive interrogations of libraries of compounds or genes in applications like drug and substrate discovery for ubiquitin ligases.