METHODS FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF INHIBITORS OF ACETOLACTATE SYNTHASE AND POTASSIUM TRANSPORT PROTEIN AS ANTIBIOTICS

摘要

The present inventors have discovered that ALS catalytic and regulatory subunits and potassium transport protein are essential for normal fungal pathogenicity. Specifically, the inhibition of either ALS catalytic or regulatory subunit gene expression in fungi severely reduces growth and pathogenicity and the inhibition of potassium transport protein gene expression in fungi results in drastically reduced pathogenicity. Thus, ALS catalytic and regulatory subunits and potassium transport protein are useful as targets for the identification of antibiotics, preferably antifungals. Accordingly, the present invention provides methods for the identification of compounds that inhibit ALS catalytic or regulatory subunit expression or activity, or compounds that inhibit potassium transport protein expression or activity. The methods of the invention are useful for the identification of antibiotics, preferably antifungals.