Patent ID: 8603739

Claim:
A method of identifying a Rv0256c inhibitor comprising: contacting a test agent with a eukaryotic cell expressing a Rv0256c polypeptide, wherein the Rv0256c polypeptide has a polypeptide sequence with at least about 75% sequence identity with the polypeptide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1; and measuring one or more of: (i) the level of Rv0256c mRNA or polypeptide expressed by the eukaryotic cell; (ii) the level of nuclear localization of the Rv0256c polypeptide in the eukaryotic cell; (iii) the level of nitric oxide produced by the eukaryotic cell; and (iv) the level of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expressed by the eukaryotic cell; wherein a statistically significant decrease in (i) and/or (ii), or a statistically significant increase in (iii) and/or (iv), or any combination thereof, compared to a control eukaryotic cell not contacted with the test agent indicates that the test agent is an inhibitor of Rv0256c expression or function.