METHODS OF SCREENING FOR ANTIMICROBIAL COMPOUNDS

摘要

The invention provides methods of screening for antimicrobial compounds in which an enzyme which is capable of catalysing a reaction between a nucleotide diphosphate and a substrate to produce a nucleotidylate species is incubated with a test compound and a nucleotide diphosphate. The rate and/or extent of the reaction is then compared to a control reaction carried out in the absence of the test compound. Where the nucleotide diphosphate is AP4A, the rate or extent of the reaction may be assessed by following ATP production using a hexokinase/glucose dehydrogenase couple and monitoring the change in absorbance (A340) of the reaction mixture. These methods are particularly suitable for screening for potential antibiotic agents which target bacterial aminoacyl t RNA synthetase enzymes. The methods are also amenable to use in high- throughput screening.