| abstract |
Process for detecting the occurrence of a particular molecular event in a cell. Process for detecting the occurrence of a particular molecular event in a cell comprises detecting solubilization of a bound protein marker (PM), or binding of a solubilized PM, where PM is a direct or indirect marker of a particular event and is present in the cell before detection. Before detection, the cell is treated to solubilize its plasma membrane so that solubilized protein is released into the extracellular medium and presence of PM is detected, by any suitable method, in the cell or medium so as to determine if solubilization, or binding, and thus the corresponding event, has occurred. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) PM for use in the new process that comprises a sensitive component (SC), which undergoes solubilization (or binding) and an indicator component (IC) for detection; (2) vector that expresses PM in a cellular environment; (3) transformed cell that expresses PM; (4) non-human transgenic animal in which at least one cell of a certain type expresses PM; and (5) kit for performing the new process that contains cells of (3), the vector of (2) or the animal of (4). |