Patent ID: 7169574

Claim:
A method for detecting, identifying and/or assaying, by fluorescence, compounds likely to inhibit or activate a protease or peptidase which is capable of cleaving a peptide substrate comprising an amino acid sequence PyA-Z-pNF between PyA and pNF, with Z representing a chain of 0 to 4 natural amino acid(s) of the L series, which may be identical or different, said method comprising: (1) contacting said substrate with said protease or peptidase, and optionally with at least one test compound likely to inhibit or activate the activity of said protease or peptidase; and (2) measuring the fluorescence emitted in the presence and in the absence of the test compound; wherein an absence of, or a decrease in, fluorescence measured in the presence of the test compound, as compared with the fluorescence measured in the absence of the test compound, indicates the presence of a test compound with inhibitory activity on said protease or peptidase, or wherein an increase in fluorescence measured in the presence of the test compound, as compared with the fluorescence measured in the absence of the test compound, indicates the presence of a test compound with activating activity on said protease or peptidase.