Patent ID: 7122331

Claim:
A method of screening a chemical library for an inhibitor of the biosynthesis of isoprenoids, comprising: (a) determining the enzymatic activity of a protein that enzymatically converts cytidine triphosphate and 2C-methyl-D-erythritol-4-phosphate into 4-diphosphocytidyl-2C-methyl-D-erythritol in the presence of magnesium ions, and in the presence of a test sample of the chemical library; (b) determining the enzymatic activity of the protein of step (a) in the absence of the test sample of the chemical library; and (c) comparing the enzymatic activity in step (a) with the enzymatic activity in step (b), whereby an enzymatic activity in step (a) that is less than the enzymatic activity in step (b) identifies the test sample as an inhibitor of the biosynthesis of isoprenoids.