A team led by researchers at the University of Toronto has created a platform, called SIMPL2, that revolutionizes the study of protein-protein interactions by simplifying detection while improving measurement accuracy.
Interactions between proteins play a significant role in biological processes, including those involved in disease. The team behind the SIMPL2 platform designed it to optimize researchers’ ability to measure protein-protein interactions for targeted drug therapies. While protein-protein interactions have previously been considered ‘undruggable’ using small molecules, the platform addresses this challenge by facilitating the measurement of these interactions – improving our understanding of the types of molecules needed to control them.
Many methods have been developed to measure interactions between proteins, especially more recently as the significance of protein interactions in disease has become more apparent. However, all of these methods have shortcomings, including high costs and complicated procedures that delay results. The biggest advantages of our SIMPL2 platform are that it produces more reliable measurements and is comparatively cheaper to use.”
Zhong Yao, first author on the study and senior research associate of U of T’s Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research
The study was published recently in the journal Molecular Systems Biology.
Yao started working on the protein interaction measurement problem while developing the original SIMPL (Split-Intein Medicated Protein Ligation) system. SIMPL2 is an update of SIMPL that involves the use of the split luciferase enzyme for detection of protein interactions through luminescence. In addition to improving identification of interactions, the entire measurement process occurs through one medium: