The present invention is transgenic chickens obtained from long-term cultures of avian PGCs and techniques to produce and transgenic birds derived from prolonged PGC cultures. In some embodiments, these PGCs can be transfected with genetic constructs to modify the DNA of the PGC, specifically to introduce a transgene encoding an exogenous protein. When combined with a host avian embryo by known procedures, those modified PGCs are transmitted through the germline to yield transgenic offspring. This invention includes compositions comprising long-term cultures of PGCs and offspring derived from them that are genetically modified. The genetic modifications introduced into PGCs to achieve the gene inactivation may also include, but are not restricted to, random integrations of transgenes into the genome, transgenes inserted into the promoter region of genes, transgenes inserted into repetitive elements in the genome, site specific changes to the genome that are introduced using integrase, site specific changes to the genome introduced by homologous recombination, and conditional mutations introduced into the genome by excising DNA that is flanked by lox sites or other sequences that are substrates for site specific recombination.

The inventive technology is directed to the generation of a novel transgenic mammalian model for the study of Laing distal myopathy. The novel animal model of the invention may include a transgenic animal, and preferably a transgenic mouse, expressing the β-myosin R1500P mutation transgene that produces one or more phenotypes associated with MPD1. The β-myosin R1500P mutation transgene may further be selectively expressed in fast muscle tissue of the transgenic animal.

Described are transgenic, non-human animals comprising a nucleic acid encoding an immunoglobulin light chain, whereby the immunoglobulin light chain is a common human, human-like, or humanized light chain. Further provided is methods for producing an immunoglobulin from the transgenic, non-human animal.

The present invention relates to the identification of a microRNA family, designated miR-29a-c, that is a key regulator of fibrosis in cardiac tissue. The inventors show that members of the miR-29 family are down-regulated in the heart tissue in response to stress, and are up-regulated in heart tissue of mice that are resistant to both stress and fibrosis. Also provided are methods of modulating expression and activity of the miR-29 family of miRNAs as a treatment for fibrotic disease, including cardiac hypertrophy, skeletal muscle fibrosis other fibrosis related diseases and collagen loss-related disease.

Methods and compositions are provided for translational profiling and molecular phenotyping of specific tissues, cells and cell subtypes of interest. The methods provided herein facilitate the analysis of gene expression in the selected subset present within a heterogeneous sample.

Provided are methods of treating and/or preventing dermatological disorders. Provided are methods of reducing skin inflammation, reducing pain, and/or reducing itch in a subject in need thereof. The methods may include administering to the subject an effective amount of a TRPA1 and/or TRPV4 inhibitor. Further provided are compositions including a TRPA1 and/or TRPV4 inhibitor compound in combination with a carrier, vehicle, or diluent that is suitable for topical application.

Described are transgenic, non-human animals comprising a nucleic acid encoding an immunoglobulin light chain, whereby the immunoglobulin light chain is human, human-like, or humanized. The nucleic acid is provided with a means that renders it resistant to DNA rearrangements and/or somatic hypermutations. In one embodiment, the nucleic acid comprises an expression cassette for the expression of a desired molecule in cells during a certain stage of development in cells developing into mature B cells. Further provided is methods for producing an immunoglobulin from the transgenic, non-human animal.

The preset invention relates to a promoter to target a fluorescent protein to the muscles of fish, such as A. nigrofasciatus, for ornamental purposes, which is a Mlc3 (myosin, light polypeptide 3, skeletal muscle) promoter. The Mlc3 promoter has the nucleotides of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) myosin light chain 3 (Mlc3) promoter region, which is potential to be a tilapia Mlc3 promoter to enhance protein expression in muscle of fish, particularly for the generation of ornamental fish.

The present invention provides methods and compositions for inducing differentiation of Müller glial cells into rod photoreceptors through a two-step process of inducing Müller glial cell proliferation by increasing WNT signaling effectors in the Müller glial cell and then directed differentiation into a rod photoreceptor through activation of rod-specific photoreceptor genes. The methods and compositions are useful in a method of treating vision loss or impairment due to photoreceptor loss. The present invention also provides methods for treating vision loss or impairment in a subject comprising (a) administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a Müller glial (MG) cell proliferation agent; and (b) a period of time after the administering of step (a), administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a MG cell differentiation agent.

The present disclosure relates to dual-cell model and Caenorhabditis elegans model systems for measuring neuron-to-neuron transmission of protein aggregates, and more particularly to transgenic cell and animal model systems expressing fusion proteins of N-terminus or C-terminus of fluorescent proteins with α-synuclein proteins, methods for measuring continuous cell-to-cell transmission of α-synuclein aggregates using the same, and methods for screening substances for preventing or treating neurodegenerative diseases.