Microcide Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Essential Therapeutics, Inc.

Bret Benton

Dongxu Sun

Molly B Schmid

Francois Malouin

Patrick K Martin

Ving J Lee

Jerry M Buysse

Keith Bostian

This disclosure describes isolated or purified deoxyribonucleotide (DNA) sequences, useful for the development of antibacterial agents, which contain the coding sequences of bacterial pathogenesis genes or essential genes, which are expressed in vivo. It further describes isolated or purified DNA sequences which are portions of such bacterial genes, which are useful as probes to identify the presence of the corresponding gene or the presence of a bacteria containing that gene. Also described are hypersensitive mutant cells containing a mutant gene corresponding to any of the identified sequences and methods of screening for antibacterial agents using such hypersensitive cells. In addition it describes methods of treating bacterial infections by administering an antibacterial agent active against one of the identified targets, as well as pharmaceutical compositions effective in such treatments.

Methods of screening for compounds active on staphylococcus aureus target genes

Methods of screening for compounds active on Staphylococcus aureus target genes

This disclosure describes isolated or purified deoxyribonucleotide (DNA) sequences, useful for the development of antibacterial agents, which contain the coding sequences of bacterial genes which encode the components of a two-component regulatory pair. It further describes isolated or purified DNA sequences which are portions of such bacterial genes, which are useful as probes to identify the presence of the corresponding gene or the presence of a bacteria containing that gene. Also described are hypersensitive mutant cells containing a mutant gene corresponding to any of the identified sequences and methods of screening for antibacterial agents using such hypersensitive cells. In addition it describes methods of treating bacterial infections by administering an antibacterial agent active against one of the identified targets, as well as pharmaceutical compositions effective in such treatments.

Staphylococcus aureus histidine protein kinase essential genes

Methods of screening for compounds active on Staphylococcus aureus

A method for identifying a cell or strain of cells containing a mutation in a gene involved in growth, comprising the steps of forming a labeled set of strains comprising a plurality of members, each member of the set containing an exogenous DNA fragment of a defined length stably integrated into the chromosome of a member, the defined length in each member differing from the defined length in other members, subjecting the labeled set of strains to mutagenesis so as to obtain mutants from each member of the set of strains, and introducing the mutant strains into a growth environment for a period of time sufficient for growth of a non-mutated strain and determining which strains have reduced growth compared to a non-mutated strain, by determining the presence and size of exogenous DNA fragments relative to each other using PCR and agarose/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

Sized-based marker identification technology

Growing community of inventors

Burlingame, CA, United States of America

Bret Benton