Abstract: The present invention relates to receptor/reporter fusion protein based assays for detecting the effect test compounds have on a particular membrane receptor, as well as to receptor/reporter fusion proteins for use in such assays and compounds identified by the assays as having interesting/useful effects. Suitable membrane receptors are growth factor receptors, cytokine receptors, ion channels and integrins including any subtypes, mutants, homologs and chimeric forms of such receptors. The assay may be to study G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs).

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of assessing the glucocorticoid receptor signalling pathway modulated by a test compound comprising; (a) providing a cell having a first polynucleotide construct comprising a first reporter gene under the control of a first promoter indicative of a first glucocorticoid receptor signalling pathway; (b) providing a second cell of the same lineage as the cell (a), and comprising a second polynucleotide construct having a second reporter gene under the control of a second promoter indicative of a second glucocorticoid receptor signalling pathway; (c) incubating said first and second cells with a test compound; (d) monitoring for expression of the first and second reporter genes.