Morpholino oligomers (MOs) are antisense molecules designed for sequence-specific binding of target mRNA. In bacteria, inhibition is hypothesized to occur by preventing translation initiation. Cell-penetrating peptides may be conjugated to the 5'- or 3'-termini of an MO to enhance cellular entry and therefore inhibition. Here we describe the three standard microbiological assays to assess in vitro antibacterial MO efficacy.
Keywords: Antisense; Checkerboard synergy; Minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC); Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC); Morpholino oligomers (MOs).