Patent ID: 6534278
Filing Date: 2003-03-18
Classification: C12Q

Abstract:
A method for identifying a candidate compound that inhibits bacterial growth, the method comprising:providing bactena carrying a gene that encodes, &bgr;-actamase; incubating the bacteria with the candidate compound under conditions that enable cell wall biosynthesis, to form a reaction mixture; performing a first assay on the reaction mixture to detect induction of &bgr;-lactamase, wherein induction of &bgr;-lactamase indicates that the candidate compound is an inhibitor of bacterial growth; obtaining a cell extract containing enzymes, cofactors, and carrier molecules necessary for a particular step or steps of cell wall biosynthesis; supplying a substrate for the step or steps; incubating the candidate compound with the cell extract and the substrate under conditions that enable the step or steps to proceed to form an incubation mixture; and performing a second assay on thee incubation mixture for the substrate and the product normally produced in the step or steps, wherein the production of an amount of product less than that normally produced in the step or steps relative to the amount of substrate indicates the presence of an inhibitor of the step or steps, to thereby identify a candidate compound that inhibits bacterial growth.