Patent ID: 7790377
Filing Date: 2010-09-07
Classification: A01N,C12Q,G01N

Abstract:
1. A method for testing the ability of a compound to act as a modulator of insect growth by determining whether the compound potentiates ecdysteroid-activated ecdysone receptor (EcR)-mediated transcription, said method comprising the steps of: (a) selecting a compound to be tested for potentiator activity; (b) transfecting isolated mammalian cells with: (c) adding to each aliquot of the isolated mammalian cells of step (b) an ecdysteroid; or the compound to be tested; or both an ecdysteroid and the compound to be tested; (d) measuring whether there is an increase in EcR-mediated transcription in the isolated mammalian cells of step (c) in the presence of both an ecdysteroid and the tested compound, as compared to isolated mammalian cells of step (c) in the presence of an ecdysteroid alone or the tested compound alone; (e) performing steps (c)-(d) for various doses of the test compound at various ecdysteroid doses; and (f) assessing the ability of the test compound to increase the ability of the ecdysteroid to increase EcR-mediated transcription at sub-maximal doses of the ecdysteroid up to, but not greater than the maximal response evoked by the ecdysteroid.