High-Throughput Screening with HyperCyt® Flow Cytometry to Detect Small Molecule Formylpeptide Receptor Ligands

Abstract

High-throughput flow cytometry (HTFC), enabled by faster automated sample processing, represents a promising high- content approach for compound library screening. HyperCyt® is a recently developed automated HTFC analysis system by which cell samples are rapidly aspirated from microplate wells and delivered to the flow cytometer. The formylpeptide receptor (FPR) family of G protein–coupled receptors contributes to the localization and activation of tissue-damaging leukocytes at sites of chronic inflammation. Here, the authors describe development and application of an HTFC screening approach to detect potential anti-inflammatory compounds that block ligand binding to FPR. Using a homogeneous no-wash assay, samples were routinely processed at 1.5 s/well (~2500 cells analyzed/sample), allowing a 96-well plate to be processed in less than 2.5 min. Assay sensitivity and accuracy were validated by detection of a previously documented active compound with relatively low FPR affinity (sulfinpyrazone, inhibition constant [Ki]=14 μM) from among a collection of 880 compounds in the Prestwick Chemical Library. The HyperCyt® system was therefore demonstrated to be a robust, sensitive, and highly quantitative method with which to screen lead compound libraries in a 96-well format.