Protein Misfolding

Cell-Based Assays for Protein Solubility

Protein aggregation is a central component of numerous human diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, and Type II Diabetes. Consequently, cellular reports of protein misfolding and aggregation are highly desirable for both fundamental studies as well as inhibitor development. Towards this end, our laboratory has developed an approach that utilizes self-assembling fragments of NanoLuc luciferase to report on the solubility of proteins in living cells. This turn-on assay for increased protein solubility provides a means to ask fundamental questions about protein misfolding as well as identify inhibitors that disrupt aggregation.