Patent ID: 6951729

Claim:
A high throughput screening method for biological agents affecting fatty acid biosynthesis, wherein the method comprises: (A) providing a reaction mixture comprising (1) (a) an acyl carrier moiety or (b) enzymes and precursors sufficient to generate the acyl carrier moiety; (2) a bacterial enzymatic pathway comprising at least two consecutively acting enzymes selected from the group consisting of: (a) malonyl-CoA:ACP transacylase, (b) β-ketoacyl-ACP synthase III, (c) NADPH-dependent β-ketoacyl-ACP reductase, (d) β-hydroxyacyl-ACP dehydrase, and (e) enoyl-ACP reductase; and (3) first substrates and cofactors required for activity of the enzymes; (B) contacting the reaction mixture with a bioactive agent; (C) conducting a high throughput measurement of the activity of the enzymatic pathway; and (D) determining if the contacting alters the activity of the enzymatic pathway.