METHOD FOR IDENTIFICATION OF PERTURBAGENS OF PARTICULAR BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES AND CELL SYSTEMS WITHIN LIVING CELLS

Methodology is described for identification of perturbagens of biological processes and cell systems through transcription factor activity profiling. The method is based on the unexpected finding that perturbagens of a particular biological process or a cell system within living cells produce an invariant transcription factor activity profile (TFAP), regardless of where and how said perturbagens interfere. Such invariant TFAPs have been identified for perturbagens of multiple biological processes and cell systems, including mitochondria, HDAC, and proteasome inhibitors; DNA damaging agents; cytoskeleton disruptors; and kinase inhibitors. The discovery of such invariant TFAP signatures opens a vast spectrum of applications, including drug discovery and repurposing of approved drugs, and provides a new ontological basis for characterization of biological properties of myriad chemical and biological compounds.