Methods for identifying agents that bind a levetiracetam binding site (LBS) or compete with LEV binding to a LBS of a synaptic vesicle protein 2 (SV2)

A method of identifying a compound or an agent that binds a levetiracetam binding site (LBS) of an SV2 protein, comprising:

• a) obtaining a cell-free or membrane-free SV2 protein comprising a LBS wherein the SV2 protein is SV2A or SV2C;
• b) incubating the SV2 protein with a compound or an agent and levetiracetam or an analog or derivative thereof that binds a LBS on an SV2 protein;
• and
• c) determining if the binding of levetiracetam or an analog or derivative thereof to the protein is inhibited by the compound or agent, thereby identifying a compound or agent that binds the LBS of an SV2.

A method of identifying a compound or an agent that binds the levetiracetam binding site (LBS) of an SV2 protein, comprising:

• a) obtaining a cell-free or membrane-free SV2 protein comprising a LBS wherein the SV2 protein is SV2A or SV2C;
• b) incubating the SV2 protein with a compound or an agent and (2S)-2-[4-(3-azidophenyl)-2-oxopyrrolidin-1-yl]butanamide;
• c) separately incubating the SV2 protein with (2S)-2-[4-(3-azidophenyl)-2-oxopyrrolidin-1-yl]butanamide;
• and
• d) comparing the binding of (2S)-2-[4-(3-azidophenyl)-2-oxopyrrolidin-1-yl]butanamide to SV2 in steps (b) and (c) to determine if the binding of (2S)-2-[4-(3-azidophenyl)-2-oxopyrrolidin-1-yl]butanamide to the protein is inhibited by the compound or agent, thereby identifying a compound or an agent that binds the LBS of the SV2 protein.