Myriad's new ProsSpec tackles multi- protein complexes

Myriad Genetics Inc. (Salt Lake City) introduces ProSpec, a new drug target identification and validation technology. This new proteomics technology complements the disease pathway discovery capability of Myriad's ProNet technologies by using mass spectrometry (MS) to identify and characterize multi-protein complexes. While two-hybrid systems are useful for defining pairs of interacting proteins, not all of biology is that simple. Many important biological processes involve interactions of more than two proteins, and these are hard to identify with conventional two-hybrid systems. Combining Myriad's ProNet version of yeast two-hybrid and mass spectrometry technologies creates a unique tool for looking at multi-protein interactions for drug discovery and development.

In Myriad's ProSpec technology, MS is not content-based, but rather is interaction-based. ProSpec looks at isolated, targeted multi-protein complexes, created in vitro and isolated by affinity chromatography. Company scientists have characterized three multiprotein complexes using ProSpec to date, which they will be publishing in the peer-reviewed literature.

"ProSpec is a giant leap forward in creating real value for drug developers out of information from the human genome," said Peter Meldrum, president and CEO of Myriad Genetics. "Myriad's internal drug discovery programs and those of our pharmaceutical partners will both employ high-throughput protein interaction technology and mass spectrometry for three dimensional protein complexes to identify important disease pathways and promising drug targets in those pathways."

According to Myriad, this is the first discovery technology that incorporates both yeast two-hybrid and mass spectrometry tools. And like ProNet, the ProSpec technology is particularly amenable to large-scale protein identification projects. ProSpec builds upon pathway identification by identifying the entire set of proteins that form multiprotein complexes.

ProSpec not only identifies the set of proteins that make up a multiprotein complex, it also identifies protein interactions that require post-translational modification. Such interactions can be detected with ProSpec although they are frequently missed by other detection methods. An attractive feature of the ProSpec technology is its ability to facilitate the identification of naturally occurring protein complexes as they occur in vivo.

For more information: Myriad Genetics Inc., 320 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, Utah 84108. Tel: 801-584-3600.

Edited by Laura DeFrancesco
Managing Editor, Bioresearch Online
Email: ldefrancesco@bioresearchonline.com