GPCR Screening Assays

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) superfamily is comprised of an estimate of 600-1,000 members and is the largest known class of molecular targets with proven therapeutic value. Over 40% of the approximately 500 pharmaceuticals on the market are GPCRs targeted. GPCR signaling is a extremely complex system based on three major elements: a GPCR with the ability to couple with a heterotrimeric GTP binding protein (G-protein), a GTP-transferase active G-protein and a second messenger generating enzyme. Currently, the main trends in GPCR drug discovery involve not only the search for common ligands such as agonists or antagonists, but also inverse agonists and allosteric modulators.

From our over 10 years of expertise in the bio-pharmaceutical field, Creative BioMart provides hundreds of functional and radioligand binding GPCR assays that can be applied for high throughput screening, molecular pharmacology and profiling projects. Creative BioMart's GPCR screening service provides the most comprehensive cell-based assays along with the fastest turnaround time in the industry for rapid efficacy, potency, and selectivity determination. Our highly flexible service allows you to choose the ideal screening assay to meet your project needs in hit identification, selectivity profiling, lead optimization, as well as offers you a cost-effective screening approach to help narrow down your research to individual GPCRs.

Service Highlights and Benefits

• Over 10 years of experience
• Enriched active assay platform
• Proven and trusted technology
• Highly sensitive and quantitative assay

• Flexibility in panel size
• Rapid turnaround time
• Competitive pricing

• Proven track record
• Precise and reproducible result
• Applicable to established stable cell lines

GPCR drug screening is essentially based on testing available molecule libraries. Such libraries can contain thousands of different compounds derived either by natural sampling, random synthesis or both, which are tested for their ability to bind to or interfere with the function of a GPCR molecule. Given the large number of molecules in those libraries, the use of high-throughput screening technologies that enable rapid testing through miniaturization and parallelization is indispensable. Creative BioMart offers a comprehensive selection of binding and functional GPCR assays to meet the GPCR drug discovery research needs of both chemists and biologists.

Summary of GPCR Screening Assays

Assay classification	Commonly used assays	Pros
Receptor binding assays	Radioligand binding assay	High-throughput; less interference; agonist & antagonist in one assay
	Other tagged-ligand binding	Non-radioactive; high-throughput; agonist and antagonist in one assay
G-protein dependent assays	GTPγS binding	Functional cell-free assay; discrimination between full or partial agonists, neutral antagonists, inverse agonists, allosteric regulators
	CRE/MRE reporter assay	Homogenous assay; high-throughput; large signal to background window
	cAMP assay	High-throughput; very sensitive
	Ca2+	High-throughput; functional assay for live cells; obtain agonist, antagonist and allosteric modulator in one assay
	IP1/3	High-throughput; functional assay for live cells; good for slow binding ligands
G-protein independent assays	Receptor trafficking	Image based, high-content; functional assay for live cells; generic method for all GPCRs
	β-Arrestin recruitment assay	High-throughput; image or non-image based; functional assay for live cells; useful in biased signal detection; generic method for all GPCRs
	Label-free assay	Label-free functional assay in live cells; summation of all cellular events
Receptor dimerization assay		GPCR heterodimers are considered new pharmacological targets

Reference:

1. Ru Zhang and Xin Xie. Tools for GPCR drug discovery. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2012 Mar; 33(3): 372-384. doi: 10.1038/aps.2011.173