Patent ID: 6858421

Claim:
A method for identifying an inhibitor of phospholipase activity, said method comprising: a) contacting a phospholipid with a candidate inhibitor compound and a phospholipase enzyme peptide, wherein the phospholipase enzyme peptide comprises an amino acid sequence selected from: i) the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2; ii) a fragment of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 having activity in a mixed micelle assay with 1-palmitoyl-2[ 14 C]-arachidonyl-phosphatidylcholine as a substrate; iii) the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4; and iv) a fragment of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4 having activity in a mixed micelle assay with 1-palmitoyl-2[ 14 C]-arachidonyl-phosphatidylcholine as a substrate; and b) determining whether the phospholipase enzyme peptide cleaves the phospholipid and releases fatty acid, thereby identifying an inhibitor of phospholipase activity.