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Label-Free Biosensor Methods in Drug Discovery pp 215–231Cite as

Multiplexing Label-Free and Fluorescence-Based Methods for Pharmacological Characterization of GPCR Ligands

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Part of the book series: Methods in Pharmacology and Toxicology ((MIPT))

Abstract

Cell-based assays are essential to drug discovery and biomedical research. Most cell-based assays have been targeting specific components of signaling pathways with considerable mechanistic significance. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent a major class of drug targets. In addition to G protein-dependent pathways, G protein-independent signaling mechanisms such as β-arrestin pathways, allosteric modulation of receptor function, and receptor oligomerization are among currently active research areas. High-throughput calcium- and membrane potential-based assays have been widely used as efficient screening platforms. The Hamamatsu FDSS7000 instrument is capable of simultaneous compound addition and fluorescence monitoring in 96- or 384-wells for fluorescence-based calcium or membrane potential assays. However, phenotypic or holistic cellular measurements of combined effects contributed by multiple signaling pathways may also be required to complement label-based assays that target specific signaling events. For this purpose, the effects mediated by GPCRs may be measured by dynamic mass redistribution (DMR) through Resonant Waveguide Grating (RWG) biosensors embedded in 384-well plates using a Corning EPIC BT label-free assay system. Herein, we describe experimental protocol for profiling ADX88178, a potent and selective positive allosteric modulator (PAM) of the metabotropic glutamate 4 receptor (mGluR4) using both Ca2+ and DMR phenotypic readouts, and discuss the complementary features of each assay type. Further, we demonstrate, for the first time, a unique integrated procedure multiplexing FDSS calcium mobilization and EPIC label-free assays using a single set of cell/compound plates.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Drs. Shouming Du, Yiwen Wang, Alex Sanchez, and Al McGrath of Hamamatsu Corporation, and Drs. Hung Cuong Louie Tran and Ye Fang of Corning Incorprated for technical assistance. We are also grateful to Mr. Michael Collins and Noel J. Boyle for technical support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. U-Pharm Laboratories LLC, 239 New Road, Suite A-107, Parsippany, NJ, 07054, USA

    Huailing Zhong

  2. Lundbeck Research USA, 215 College Road, Paramus, NJ, 07652, USA

    Xinyan Huang & Dario Doller

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  1. Huailing Zhong
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  2. Xinyan Huang
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  3. Dario Doller
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Correspondence to Huailing Zhong .

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  1. Biochemical Technologies, Science and Technology Division, Corning Incorporated, Corning, New York, USA

    Ye Fang

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Zhong, H., Huang, X., Doller, D. (2015). Multiplexing Label-Free and Fluorescence-Based Methods for Pharmacological Characterization of GPCR Ligands. In: Fang, Y. (eds) Label-Free Biosensor Methods in Drug Discovery. Methods in Pharmacology and Toxicology. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2617-6_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2617-6_12

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-2616-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-2617-6

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