Patent ID: 6620585
Filing Date: 2003-09-16
Classification: C12N,C12Q

Abstract:
A method for screening a test compound for the ability to inhibit microbial proliferation, said method comprising the steps of:(a) providing a population of microbial cells expressing an ectoenzyme or secreted enzyme, wherein said population of cells is contacted with a sublethal level of an antisense nucleic acid that is complementary to at least a portion of a nucleic acid that encodes a gene product which is required for proliferation of said population of microbial cells, to reduce the activity or amount of said gene product in said cells, to thereby produce sensitized microbial cells; (b) determining the extent of proliferation of said sensitized cells that express said ectoenzyme or secreted ezyme by measuring the activity of said ectoenzyme or secreted enzyme; (c) contacting said sensitized cells with a test compound and measuring the extent of proliferation of said sensitized cells in response to said test compound; and (d) determining whether said test compound inhibits the proliferation of said sensitized cells by comparing the activity of said ectoenzyme or secreted enzyme in said sensitized cells prior to contact with the test compound with the activity of said ectoenzyme or secreted enzyme following contact with the test compound.