Abstract: The present inventors have discovered that antisense suppression of a chlorophyll synthase (CS) gene results in plants exhibiting one or more of chlorosis, reduced growth, and altered development. Thus, the present inventors have discovered that the protein encoded by the CS gene is essential for normal plant growth and development, and is useful as a target for the identification of compounds as antibiotics and herbicides, especially herbicides.

Abstract: In the methods of the present invention, the change in absorbance of an obtusifoliol 14?-demethylase (OBT-DM) enzyme upon binding of an inhibitor is used to advantage for the identification of inhibitors of OBT-DM activity. Rather than measuring the absorbance of an OBT-DM/inhibitor complex over a spectrum of wavelengths as described previously, the present invention discloses methods for identifying type II inhibitors of OBT-DM by monitoring the absorbance only at 413 nm and 432 nm. The methods of the invention enable the concurrent testing of multiple compounds using a high throughput format such as with 96- or 384-well plates.

Abstract: Surprisingly, the present inventors have discovered that thermal denaturation of prion protein facilitates its detection by immunological methods. Accordingly, the present invention provides methods for the preparation and thermal denaturation of samples for prion detection, comprising: homogenizing a candidate sample and heating said sample in a buffer, preferably one with properties that aid stabilization of the denatured form of the protein. The methods described in this disclosure can be used in the detection of PrPSc. Such detection is useful for the diagnosis of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. This method can be used with immunoassays of various formats, including, but not limited to, dot blot and western blot assays, which utilize polyclonal antibodies, monoclonal antibodies, antibody fragments, receptors, natural and synthetic ligands and other entities.