Patent ID: 7534742

Claim:
A method for screening a chemical library for an inhibitor of the biosynthesis of isoprenoids by blocking the conversion of 4-diphosphocytidyl-2C-methyl-D-erythritol, comprising: (a) reacting an aqueous mixture comprising: i) a protein that is enzymatically functional for the conversion of 4-diphosphocytidyl-2C-methyl-D-erythritol, ii) 4-diphosphocytidyl-2C-methyl-D-erythritol or a source thereof selected from the group consisting of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate, pyruvate, 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate, and 2C-methyl-D-erythritol-4-phosphate, and iii) a divalent metal salt; for a predetermined period of time at a predetermined temperature; (b) detecting the level of conversion of 4-diphosphocytidyl-2C-methyl-D-erythritol in step (a); (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) in the presence of a test sample of the chemical library; (d) detecting the level of conversion of 4-diphosphocytidyl-2C-methyl-D-erythritol in step (c); and (e) comparing the level of conversion in step (b) with the level of conversion in step (d), whereby a decrease in the level of conversion in step (d) identifies the test sample as an inhibitor of the biosynthesis of isoprenoids by blocking the conversion of 4-diphosphocytidyl-2C-methyl-D-erythritol.