Testing endosymbiont cellular organelles and compounds identifiable therewith

Abstract

The invention relates to the diagnosis of disease or the determination of functioning of cellular organisms, being of multi-cellular or unicellular nature, being visible by the naked eye or being a microorganism. The invention provides a method for determining functioning of a cellular organism comprising determining the relative ratio of a first endosymbiont cellular organelle nucleic acid and/or gene product thereof in a sample obtained from the organism in relation to the amount of a second nucleic acid and/or gene product thereof.

1 . A method for determining whether an organism has a disease, comprising: 
 obtaining a sample from the organism; and    determining a relative ratio of a first indicator to a second indicator, wherein the first indicator and second indicator are derived from said sample and comprise endosymbiont cellular organelle molecules selected from the group consisting of DNA, RNA, and protein, and wherein said relative ratio is indicative of the presence or absence of a disease.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said first indicator comprises DNA and said second indicator comprises a transcription product of said first indicator.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said relative ratio is compared to a reference curve, said comparison being indicative of the presence or absence of a disease.  
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 amplifying an endosymbiont cellular organelle nucleic acid.    
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said first sample comprises peripheral blood mononuclear cells, fibroblasts, or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said first indicator and said second indicator are comprised of mitochondrial molecules selected from the group consisting of DNA, RNA, and protein.  
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said relative ratio is indicative of exposure of said organism to a chemical compound.  
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said first indicator and said second indicator comprise nuclear endosymbiont cellular organelle molecules selected from the group consisting of DNA, RNA, and protein.  
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said first indicator and said second indicator comprise endosymbiont cellular organelle molecules selected from the group consisting of DNA, RNA, protein, and small nuclear ribonucleoprotein RNA or DNA sequences or fragments thereof.  
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said relative ratio is determined in a single assay.  
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 obtaining a second sample from said organism, wherein said second sample is taken after said first sample;    determining a second relative ratio of said first indicator to said second indicator; and    comparing said first relative ratio to said second relative ratio, wherein said comparison is indicative of progression of a disease.    
     
     
         12 . A diagnostic kit for performing the method of  claim 1 , comprising: 
 a means for detecting said first indicator and said second indicator, said means comprising at least one primer or probe.    
     
     
         13 . The kit of  claim 12 , wherein said at least one primer or probe is listed in Table 1.  
     
     
         14 . The kit according to  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 at least one primer or probe capable of specifically amplifying a second nucleic acid.    
     
     
         15 . A method of determining whether a medicament has therapeutic activity and/or possible side-effects, said method comprising: 
 obtaining a sample from an organism;    determining a first relative ratio of a first DNA molecule, RNA molecule or gene product thereof of an endosymbiont cellular organelle derived from said sample to any second DNA molecule, RNA molecule or gene product thereof derived from said sample;    introducing a medicament to said organism;    determining a second relative ratio of said first DNA molecule, RNA molecule or gene product thereof to said second DNA molecule, RNA molecule or gene product thereof; and    determining whether there is a difference between said first relative ratio and said second relative ratio, wherein said difference is indicative of a therapeutic activity and/or a side-effect of the medicament.    
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein said medicament is administered for about three months.  
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein said medicament is useful for treatment of a chronic disease, an HIV-related disease, a tumor-related disease, or any combination thereof.  
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein said medicament is selected from the group consisting of: a nucleoside analogue, a nucleotide analogue, fludarabine, mercaptopurine, tioguanine, cytarabine, flurouracil, gemcyatbine, AZT, ddI, ddC, d4T, 3TC, tenofofir, a cytostaticum, an alkylating compound, an antimitotoxic an antitumor antibioticum, a topoisomerase inhibitor, chlorambucil, cyclofosfamide, estramustine, ifosamide, melfalanthiotepabusulfan, treosulfancarmustne, lomustinecisplatine, carboplatine, oxaliplatinedacarbazine, procarbazine, temozolomide vinblastine, vincristine, vindesinedocetaxel, paclitaxel, daunorubicine, doxorubicine, epirubicine, idarubicine, mitoxanthrobleomycine, dactinomycine, mitomycineirinotecan, topotecanetoposide, teniposide amsacrine, asparaginase, cladribine, hydroxycarbamide, pentostatine methotrexate, and raltitrexed.  
     
     
         19 . A method for measuring the selectivity of a chemical compound for one or more organisms, said method comprising: 
 obtaining a first sample from a first organism;    determining a first relative ratio of a first indicator to a second indicator, wherein the first indicator and the second indicator are derived from said first sample and comprise endosymbiont cellular organelle molecules selected from the group consisting of: DNA, RNA and protein;    exposing said first organism to a chemical compound;    determining whether there is a change in the relative ratio before, during and/or after exposure of said first organism to said chemical compound;    obtaining a second sample from a second organism;    determining a second relative ratio of a third indicator to a fourth indicator, wherein the third indicator and the fourth indicator are derived from said second sample and comprise endosymbiont cellular organelle molecules selected from the group consisting of: DNA, RNA and protein;    exposing said second organism to said chemical compound;    determining whether there is a change in the relative ratio before, during and/or after exposure of said second organism to said chemical compound;    determining whether there is a difference between said first and said second organisms' relative ratios during and/or after exposure to said chemical compound, wherein the difference is indicative of selectivity of said chemical compound for one or more organisms.    
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the first organism comprises a host and the second organism comprises a pathogen.  
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the first organism comprises a plant and the second organism comprises a weed.  
     
     
         22 . The method according to clam  19 , wherein the first organism comprises a non-cancerous cell and the second organism comprises a cancer cell.  
     
     
         23 . A selective chemical compound identified by the method according to  claim 19.