An Efficient Way to Screen Inhibitors of Energy-Coupling Factor (ECF) Transporters in a Bacterial Uptake Assay.

Herein, we report a novel whole-cell screening assay using as a model microorganism to identify inhibitors of energy-coupling factor (ECF) transporters. This promising and underexplored target may have important pharmacological potential through modulation of vitamin homeostasis in bacteria and, importantly, it is absent in humans. The assay represents an alternative, cost-effective and fast solution to demonstrate the direct involvement of these membrane transporters in a native biological environment rather than using a low-throughput in vitro assay employing reconstituted proteins in a membrane bilayer system.