The invention relates to a method of enhancing the potency of a cell (for example, to a totipotent state), by introducing a TET family gene, derivative or fragment thereof into the cell. The invention also relates to methods and kits for preparing cells with enhanced potency, and uses of said cells.

Disclosed are compositions and methods that use lysine demethylase inhibitors for inhibiting the growth of cancer stem cells or tumor initiating cells, for enhancing the biological effects of chemotherapeutic drugs or irradiation on cancer cells and/or for preventing cancer recurrence.

Methods and constructs for RNA-guided targeting of heterologous functional domains such as transcriptional activators to specific genomic loci.

The present invention relates to the field of plant molecular biology, more particularly to the field of agriculture, even more particularly to the field of improving the yield of coumarins in plants. The present invention provides chimeric genes and constructs which can be used to enhance the coumarin yield.

Provided herein are, inter alia, compositions and methods for the delivery of enhanced demethylation activity to target DNA sequences in a mammalian cell. The compositions and methods are, useful for activity modulation of a targeted gene, or to create a gene regulatory network.

Some aspects of this disclosure provide compositions, methods, systems, and kits for controlling the activity of RNA-programmable endonucleases, such as Cas9, or for controlling the activity of proteins comprising a Cas9 variant fused to a functional effector domain, such as a nuclease, nickase, recombinase, deaminase, transcriptional activator, transcriptional repressor, or epigenetic modifying domain. For example, the inventive proteins provided comprise a ligand-dependent intein, the presence of which inhibits one or more activities of the protein (e.g., gRNA binding, enzymatic activity, target DNA binding). The binding of a ligand to the intein results in self-excision of the intein, restoring the activity of the protein.

Methods and compositions are provided for identifying any of the presence, location and phasing of methylated and/or hydroxymethylated cytosines in nucleic acids including long stretches of DNA. In some embodiments, the method may comprise reacting a first portion (aliquot) of a nucleic acid sample with a dioxygenase and optionally a glucosyltransferase in a reaction mixture containing the nucleic acid followed by a reaction with a cytidine deaminase to detect and optionally map .sup.5mC in a DNA. Optionally, a second portion can be reacted with glucosyltransferase followed by reaction with a cytidine deaminase to detect and optionally map .sup.5hmC in a DNA

The present invention relates to a mutant Brassica plant, which is resistant to a pathogen of viral, bacterial, fungal or oomycete origin. The mutant Brassica plant has a reduced level, reduced activity or complete absence of DMR6-1 protein and DMR6-2 protein as compared to a wild type Brassica plant.

Methods and compositions are provided for identifying any of the presence, location and phasing of methylated and/or hydroxymethylated cytosines in nucleic acids including long stretches of DNA. In some embodiments, the method may comprise reacting a first portion (aliquot) of a nucleic acid sample with a dioxygenase and optionally a glucosyltransferase in a reaction mixture containing the nucleic acid followed by a reaction with a cytidine deaminase to detect and optionally map .sup.5mC in a DNA. Optionally, a second portion can be reacted with glucosyltransferase followed by reaction with a cytidine deaminase to detect and optionally map .sup.5hmC in a DNA.

An isolated polynucleotide encoding a fusion protein which comprises a catalytically inactive CRISPR associated 9 (dCas9) protein linked to a TET protein is disclosed. Use thereof and of the fusion protein itself is also disclosed.