Patent ID: 8623600

Claim:
A method for testing an agent for the ability to inhibit MutSβ, comprising: forming a first assay comprising the agent, MutLα, and MutSβ; evaluating interaction between MutLα and MutSβ in the first assay; forming a second assay comprising the agent, MutLα, and MutSα; evaluating interaction between MutLα and MutSα in the second assay; identifying the agent as an inhibitor of MutSβ-MutLα interaction and/or MutSα-MutLα interaction; further testing the agent for the ability to inhibit MutSβ activated MutLα endonuclease activity in a third assay; wherein the agent is a MutSβ inhibitor if MutLα endonuclease activity is inhibited compared to a control; wherein the assays further comprise a suitable heteroduplex DNA substrate or a control homoduplex DNA substrate and ATP.