Patent ID: 7267959

Claim:
A method of screening for compounds that affect the binding between 1) a full Iength syntaxin-1A protein or a fragment thereof which comprises the H3 domain of a syntaxin-1A protein and 2) a nucleotide binding fold-1 (NBF1) and/or nucleotide binding fold-2 (NBF2) protein wherein the NBF1 and/or NBF2 are derived from a sulfonylurea receptor (SUR) selected from the group consisting of SUR1, SUR2A, SUR2B and SUR2C comprising: (a) contacting the syntaxin-1A protein or the fragment thereof and the NBF1 and/or NBF2 in the presence of a test compound; (b) determining the effect of the test compound on the binding of the syntaxin-1 A protein or the fragment thereof and the NBF1 and/or NBF2, wherein the syntaxin-1A protein or fragment thereof is capable of binding to NBF1 and/or NBF2, and wherein a difference in the binding between the syntaxin-1A protein or fragment and the NBF1 and/or NBF2 in the presence of the test compound and the binding between the syntaxin-1A protein or fragment and the NBF1 and/or NBF2 in the absence of the test compound (control) indicates that the compound affects the binding between the syntaxin-1A protein or fragment and the NBF1 and/or NBF2.