Compound screening methods

摘要

A method of identifying compounds capable of enhancing or up-regulating the activity of a sarco/ endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA) comprises contacting C. elegans exhibiting reduced SERCA activity (by mutation or by anti-sense or dsRNA treatment) compared to wild type with a test compound and detecting a phenotypic, biochemical or behavioural change in the C. elegans which indicates a reversion to wild type activity. Similar methods are disclosed for identifying compounds capable of down-regulating SERCA activity or modulating the interaction of SERCA with phospholamban. Also disclosed are methods involving random mutagenesis of C. elegans having wild type SERCA activity whereby C. elegans carrying a mutation that up-regulates etc. the said activity may be identified.