Abstract: This invention relates to newly identified polynucleotides and polypeptides, and their production and uses, as well as their variants, agonists and antagonists, and their uses. In particular, the invention relates to specific interaction between the S. aureus STAAU_R2 related protein or specific regions thereof, and growth-inhibitory proteins encoded by the S. aureus bacteriophage genome. The invention relates to the use of these interaction target sites as the basis of drug screening assays.

Abstract: This invention relates to newly identified polynucleotides and polypeptides, and their production and uses, as well as their variants, agonists and antagonists, and their uses. In particular, the invention relates to polynucleotides and polypeptides of a Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) DnaI related protein, as well as its variants, hereinafter referred to as “S. aureus DnaI”, “S. aureus DnaI polypeptide(s)”, and “S. aureus dnaI polynucleotides” as the case may be. Also, the invention relates to a specific interaction between the S. aureus DnaI related protein and a growth-inhibitory protein encoded by the S. aureus bacteriophage 77 genome. The phage ORF product interacts with the S. aureus DnaI polypeptide, and the invention contemplates use of this interaction target site for the basis of a drug screening assay. In addition, the invention relates to polynucleotides and polypeptides of a protein complex containing S.