| abstract |
Disclosed are sequences of antisense nucleic acids that inhibit prokaryotic growth. Also disclosed are cell-based assays that use antisense nucleic acids to identify and develop antibiotics. Antisense nucleic acids identify proteins necessary for growth, express antibiotics that can express these proteins or parts thereof, and specifically bind to expressed proteins, and can be used for rational drug discovery programs. Can also be used to use those expressed proteins as screens for isolating candidate molecules. The nucleic acids can also be used to screen for homologous nucleic acids required for the growth of cells other than Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The nucleic acids of the invention can also be used in various assay systems to screen for genes required for growth in other organisms. |