A contingent replication assay for the detection of protein-protein interactions in animal cells.

We have developed a sensitive and rapid assay system termed the contingent replication assay (CRA) for selecting cDNAs with desired functional properties from a cDNA library. The system functions in animal cells and permits enrichment of the desired cDNA in small-scale and convenient experiments. The assay can be used for the enrichment of proteins that activate transcription from conditional enhancers, bind to specific DNA sequences, or interact with target proteins of interest. In this communication we report the application of this assay to study protein-protein interactions in animal cells.