Patent ID: 6936435

Claim:
A method for identifying a compound that regulates the activity of an autoinducer wherein said autoinducer is 4,5-dihidroxy-2,3-pentanedione (AI-2) wherein said autoinducer is capable of interacting with Vibrio harveyi LuxP or LuxQ protein and thereby inducing Vibrio harveyi luminescence, comprising: a) contacting a bacterial cell capable of producing a detectable amount of light in response to the autoinducer, with the compound mixed with the autoinducer; and, b) comparing the amount of light produced by the bacterial cell in the presence of the autoinducer with the amount produced in the presence of the autoinducer and the compound, wherein a change in the production of light is indicative of a compound that regulates the activity of the autoinducer.