An immuno-dot blot assay for screening histidine kinase inhibitors

Two-component signal transduction systems (TCSs), consisting of a histidine kinase (HK) and its cognate response regulator, are ubiquitous among bacteria and are associated with the virulence of pathogens. TCSs are potential targets for alternative antibiotics and antivirulence agents. It is, thus, very important to determine HK activity in bacterial TCSs. Here, we describe an immuno-dot blot assay for the inhibition profiling of HKs using the anti-N3-phosphohistidine antibody. This simple method promises reliable detection of HK activity, and it is likely applicable in high-throughput screening of HK inhibitors.