Patent ID: 6331405
Filing Date: 2001-12-18
Classification: C07K,C12Q,G01N

Abstract:
A method for identifying compounds that inhibit laminin-.alpha.2G mediated binding of Mycobacterium leprae to an isolated .alpha.-dystroglycan polypeptide, which method comprisesincubating Mycobacterium leprae, the .alpha.-dystroglycan polypeptide and a molecule comprising a laminin-.alpha.2G domain with a compound suspected of having inhibitory activity under conditions that allow for laminin-.alpha.2G mediated binding of Mycobacterium leprae to the isolated .alpha.-dystroglycan polypeptide; anddetermining the presence or absence of a laminin-.alpha.2G/Mycobacterium leprae complex bound to the isolated .alpha.-dystroglycan polypeptide;wherein the absence of the laminin-.alpha.2G/Mycobacterium leprae complex bound to the isolated .alpha.-dystroglycan polypeptide is indicative of a compound that inhibits said binding.