High-Throughput Screening for mTORC1/mTORC2 Kinase Inhibitors Using a Chemiluminescence-Based ELISA Assay

A high-throughput chemiluminescence and ELISA-based biochemical assay to identify mTORC1/mTORC2 kinase inhibitors is described. These mTOR complexes were isolated from HeLa whole cell lysate using mTOR antibodies and in-well immunoprecipitation. The integrity and purity of the mTORC1 and mTORC2 immunocomplexes were confirmed by western blotting. Full-length recombinant 4E-BP1 was used as a substrate and the catalytic activity was measured by detection of p4E-BP1 [T37/46] by a chemiluminescence method. The performance of this assay that can be used to identify dual mTORC1 and mTORC2 kinase inhibitors in a high-throughput 384-well format is described.