Using AlphaScreen® to Identify Small-Molecule Inhibitors Targeting a Conserved Host–Pathogen Interaction

AlphaScreen® is a technology particularly suitable for bi-molecular inhibitor screening assays, e.g. using protein–protein interactions with purified recombinant proteins. Each binding partner of the bi-molecular interaction is coupled either to donor or to acceptor beads. The technology is based on the quantifiable transfer of oxygen singlets from donor to acceptor microbeads brought together by a specific interaction between the partners. We identified the conserved interaction between WW domains of cellular ubiquitin ligases of the Nedd4 family and a short peptide motif (PPxY) present in several structural and non-structural viral proteins as a potential drug target. Using an AlphaScreen assay recapitulating the interaction between Nedd4.2 and the PPxY motif of the adenoviral capsid protein VI, we screened a library of small molecules and identified specific inhibitors of this interaction.