METHODS FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF INHIBITORS OF FUMARATE REDUCTASE AND VACUOLAR PROTEIN SORTING-ASSOCIATED PROTEIN AS ANTIBIOTICS

摘要

The present inventors have discovered that fumarate reductase and VPS17 are each essential for normal fungal pathogenicity. Specifically, the inhibition of fumarate reductase gene expression in fungi results in drastically reduced pathogenicity and the inhibition of VPS17 gene expression in fungi results in drastically reduced pathogenicity. Thus, furnarate reductase and VPS17 are useful as targets for the identification of antibiotics, preferably antifungals. Accordingly, the present invention provides methods for the identification of compounds that inhibit furnarate reductase expression or activity and provides methods for the identification of compounds that inhibit VPS17 expression or activity. The methods of the invention are useful for the identification of antibiotics, preferably antifungals.