Methods, agents, and compositions for promoting milk production in a mammal are provided. Agents useful for promoting milk production may include an agent that inhibits NOTCH4 activity. The agent may inhibit NOTCH4 activity by binding to ROBO2 and/or by binding to NOTCH4. The agent may inhibit NOTCH4 by competing with ROBO1 for binding to ROBO2, thereby making ROBO1 available to inhibit NOTCH4 activity. The agent may be a soluble ROBO1 extracellular domain or an anti-NOTCH4 antibody that inhibits NOTCH4 activity. The agent may be an RNAi construct that inhibits expression of NOTCH4 or an RNAi construct that inhibits expression of ROBO2. Also provided herein are transgenic mammals genetically modified for expression of a soluble ROBO1 extracellular domain; inhibition of expression of ROBO2; and/or inhibition of expression of NOTCH4. Methods for promoting milk production in such transgenic mammals by administering one or more of the agents disclosed herein are also provided.

A method of modulating some or all copies of a gene in a cell is provided including introducing into a cell one or more ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequences that comprise a portion that is complementary to all or a portion of each of the one or more target nucleic acid sequences, and a nucleic acid sequence that encodes a Cas protein and maintaining the cells under conditions in which the Cas protein is expressed and the Cas protein binds and modulates the one or more target nucleic acid sequences in the cell.

The present invention is directed generally to eukaryotic cells comprising single-celled organisms that are introduced into the eukaryotic cell through human intervention and which transfer to daughter cells of the eukaryotic cell through at least five cell divisions, and methods of introducing such single-celled organisms into eukaryotic cells. The invention also provides methods of using such eukaryotic cells. The invention further provides single-celled organisms that introduce a phenotype to eukaryotic cells that is maintained in daughter cells. The invention additionally provides eukaryotic cells containing magnetotactic bacteria.

Provided are a posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) animal model in which dopamine receptor subtype 4 (D4R) is damaged or deficient, a method for preparing the same, a method for screening a drug for treating PTSD using the same, and a pharmaceutical composition for treating PTSD comprising a drug detected by the screening method. As it is identified that a specific type of dopamine receptor is associated with a mechanism for fear memory expression induced by long-term depression (LTD), the understanding of pathogenesis of PTSD may be heightened, the animal model exhibiting similar clinical conditions of PTSD and the method for preparing the same may be applied in analyses for stability and effectiveness of a therapeutic agent for PTSD and screening of a therapeutic drug. Further, an agonist of D4R contained in the composition has been approved by the US FDA and clinically used for psychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia, and thus may be immediately used for clinical applications for PTSD symptoms.

Provided herein are methods of generating sterile male insects. The methods include generating a insect stock comprising females with two X chromosomes each having the same centromere with male insects comprising an X chromosome and a Y chromosome each having the same centromere and mating parental male insects having an X:Y/O genome with normal females, thereby producing the sterile male insects.

In alternative embodiments, the invention provides nucleic acid sequences that are genetic polymorphic variations of the human TMEM216 gene, and TMEM216 polypeptide encoded by these variant alleles. In alternative embodiments, the invention provides methods of determining or predicting a predisposition to, or the presence of, a ciliopathy (or any genetic disorder of a cellular cilia or cilia anchoring structure, basal body or ciliary function) in an individual, such as a Joubert Syndrome (JS), a Joubert Syndrome Related Disorder (JSRD) or a Meckel Syndrome (MKS). In alternative embodiments, the invention provides compositions and methods for the identification of genetic polymorphic variations in the human TMEM216 gene, and methods of using the identified genetic polymorphisms and the proteins they encode, e.g., to screen for compounds that can modulate the human TMEM216 gene product, and possibly treat JS, JSRD or MKS. In alternative embodiments, the invention provides cells, cell lines and/or non-human transgenic animals that can be used as screening or model systems for studying ciliopathies and testing various therapeutic approaches in treating ciliopathies, e.g., JS, JSRD or MKS.

A method for producing a cell in which a target gene is knocked out, the method including the step of: introducing a CRISPR-Cas system into a cell having one or more kinds of target genes, the CRISPR-Cas system being able to produce (i) three or more kinds of guide RNAs for each of the one or more kinds of target genes and (ii) a Cas protein. The present invention can provide a method that enables highly efficient (90% or more) production of whole-body biallelic knockout animals in a single generation.

Described herein are block copolymers, and methods of making and utilizing such copolymers. The described block copolymers are disruptive of a cellular membrane, including an extracellular membrane, an intracellular membrane, a vesicle, an organelle, an endosome, a liposome, or a red blood cell. Preferably, in certain instances, the block copolymer disrupts the membrane and enters the intracellular environment. In specific examples, the block copolymer is endosomolytic and capable of delivering an oligonucleotide (e.g., an mRNA) to a cell. Compositions comprising a block copolymer and an oligonucleotide (e.g., an mRNA) are also disclosed.

BANF1, PPP2CA, and ANKLE2 were identified as genes that promote tau aggregation when disrupted. Improved tauopathy models such as cells, tissues, or animals having mutations in or inhibition of expression of BANF1 and/or PPP2CA and/or ANKLE2 are provided. Methods of using such improved tauopathy models for assessing therapeutic candidates for the treatment of a tauopathy, methods of making the improved tauopathy models, and methods of accelerating or exacerbating tau aggregation in a tauopathy model are also provided.

A method of modulating some or all copies of a gene in a cell is provided including introducing into a cell one or more ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequences that comprise a portion that is complementary to all or a portion of each of the one or more target nucleic acid sequences, and a nucleic acid sequence that encodes a Cas protein and maintaining the cells under conditions in which the Cas protein is expressed and the Cas protein binds and modulates the one or more target nucleic acid sequences in the cell.