An optical assay of the transport activity of ClC-7

Sci Rep. 2013:3:1231. doi: 10.1038/srep01231. Epub 2013 Feb 6.

Abstract

Osteoporosis, characterized by excessive osteoclast mediated bone resorption, affects millions of people worldwide representing a major public health problem. ClC-7 is a chloride-proton exchanger localized in lysosomes and in the resorption lacuna in osteoclasts where it is essential for bone resorption. Thus, drugs targeted at ClC-7 have been proposed for ameliorating osteoporosis. However, functional assays suited for high throughput screening (HTS) of ClC-7 function are lacking. Here we describe two complementary variants of purely optical assays of the transport activity of ClC-7, redirected to the plasma membrane employing a genetically encoded fluorescent Cl⁻/pH indicator fused to the ClC-7 protein. These simple and robust functional assays of ClC-7 transport are well-suited to be applied in HTS of small-molecule inhibitors and may help to develop drugs suited for the treatment of osteoporosis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biological Transport
  • Chloride Channels / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Chloride Channels / genetics
  • Chloride Channels / metabolism*
  • Fluorescent Dyes / chemistry
  • HEK293 Cells
  • High-Throughput Screening Assays*
  • Humans
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence
  • Mutation
  • Osteoporosis / metabolism
  • Osteoporosis / pathology
  • Patch-Clamp Techniques
  • Protein Binding
  • Small Molecule Libraries / chemistry
  • Small Molecule Libraries / metabolism*

Substances

  • CIC-7 protein, human
  • Chloride Channels
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Small Molecule Libraries