Firefly Luciferase

Firefly Luciferase Complementation Imaging Assay for Protein-Protein Interactions in Cancer Cells

Munazza S Javid

Cancer is caused by genetic abnormalities such as mutations of oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes, which can alter signal transduction pathways and protein-protein interactions that are essential for apoptosis and other important cellular processes.1 Monitoring protein-protein interactions can be helpful in the study of cancer as a system and developing drugs with specific targets at the molecular level. The application of the firefly luciferase biosensor system to cancer research could be an efficient method of monitoring protein-protein interaction in cancer cells. Bioluminescence imaging using firely luciferase utilizes the light emitted by the oxidation of its substrate luceferin by luciferase in a reaction involving oxygen and ATP. Assays based on protein-assisted complementation of luciferases have shown to be useful for imaging protein interactions and signal pathways.2 That is, the luciferase enzyme can be divided into 2 fragments and fused to interacting proteins. Association between the proteins triggers enzymatic activity and therefore bioluminescence can be used to monitor protein-protein interaction during intracellular signaling.2

Key Words: protein-protein interaction, firefly luciferase, bioluminescence imaging, enzyme complementation.

Introduction

Protein-Protein Interaction

Cancer mechanisms such as genetic mutations, translocations, amplifications, deletions, and viral gene insertion can alter translated proteins and thereby disrupt signal transduction pathways and protein-protein interactions.1 To show the significance of protein-protein interactions in the study of cancer, apoptosis is used as an example. Apoptosis, or cell death, is vital for normal human growth and development. During apoptosis, several proteins are released from mitochondria in the cells into the cytoplasm, triggering protein-protein...