A phage display system designed to detect and study protein-protein interactions

Mol Microbiol. 2008 Feb;67(4):719-28. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2007.06077.x. Epub 2008 Jan 2.

Abstract

Analysing protein-protein interactions is critical in proteomics and drug discovery. The usage of 2-Hybrid (2lambda) systems is limited to an in vivo environment. We describe a bacteriophage 2-Hybrid system for studying protein interactions in vitro. Bait and prey are displayed as fusions to the surface of phage lambda that are marked with different selectable drug-resistant markers. An interaction of phages in vitro through displayed proteins allows bacterial infection by two phages resulting in double drug-resistant bacterial colonies at very low multiplicity of infections. We demonstrate interaction of the protein sorting signal Ubiquitin with the Vps9-CUE, a Ubiquitin binding domain, and by the interaction of (Gly-Glu)(4) and (Gly-Arg)(4) peptides. Interruptions of the phage interactions by non-fused (free) bait or prey molecules show how robust and unique our approach is. We also demonstrate the use of Ubiquitin and CUE display phages to find binding partners in a lambda-display library. The unique usefulness to 2lambda is also described.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural

MeSH terms

  • Bacteriophage lambda / metabolism*
  • Genetic Techniques
  • Genetic Vectors
  • Oligopeptides / metabolism
  • Peptide Library*
  • Plasmids
  • Protein Binding
  • Proteins / metabolism*
  • Proteomics
  • Two-Hybrid System Techniques*
  • Ubiquitin / metabolism*

Substances

  • Oligopeptides
  • Peptide Library
  • Proteins
  • Ubiquitin