Patent ID: 7955828

Claim:
A method for identifying a compound that is an inhibitor of methionine synthase comprising: (A) bringing said compound into contact with methionine synthase in the presence of homocysteine and of methyl tetraglutamate or its polyglutamate derivatives, and of cofactors and measuring the reduction in the formation of methionine as compared to a control carried out in the absence of said compound; or (B) bringing said compound into contact with methionine synthase in the presence of homocysteine and of methyl tetraglutamate or its polyglutamate derivatives, of S-adenosylmethionine synthetase, of ATP and of Mg, and of cofactors, and measuring the reduction in the formation of S-adenosylmethionine, phosphate or pyrophosphate as compared to a control carried out in the absence of said compound; wherein the methionine synthase is selected from the group consisting of: (1) the methionine synthase that is derived from Magnaporthe grisea and comprises SEQ ID No. 3, and is encoded by a sequence comprising SEQ ID No. 1 or SEQ ID No. 2; (2) the methionine synthase that is derived from Ustilago maydis and comprises SEQ ID No. 18, and is encoded by a sequence comprising SEQ ID No. 16 or SEQ ID No. 17; and (3) the methionine synthase that is derived from Phytophora infestans and comprises SEQ ID No. 20, and is encoded by a sequence comprising SEQ ID No. 19; and (C) identifying the compound that reduces enzymatic activity and/or reduces the formation of methionine as an inhibitor of methionine.