Patent ID: 8067181

Claim:
A method of identifying a RAS-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate (RAC) pathway modulating agent, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing an assay system comprising a Maternal Embryonic Leucine Zipper Kinase (MELK) polypeptide comprising SEQ ID NO: 6 or nucleic acid encoding SEQ ID NO: 6, wherein the assay system is capable of detecting the activity or expression of MELK; (b) contacting the assay system with a test agent that modulates the activity or expression of MELK; and (c) determining the activity or expression of the MELK polypeptide or nucleic acid in the assay system in the presence or absence of the test agent of step (b), wherein a change in MELK activity or expression between the presence and absence of the test agent identifies the test agent as a candidate RAC pathway modulating agent; (d) providing a second assay system comprising cultured cells or a non-human animal expressing MELK capable of detecting a change in the RAC pathway, (e) contacting the second assay system with the test agent of step (b); and (f) measuring the RAC pathway in the presence or absence of the test agent, wherein the detection of a difference in the presence and absence of the test agent confirms the test agent as a RAC pathway modulating agent.