The present invention relates to a method of increasing resistance against fungal pathogens of the order Pucciniales, preferably the family Phacopsoraceae, in plants and/or plant cells. This is achieved by increasing the expression of an RLK1 protein or fragment thereof in a plant, plant part and/or plant cell in comparison to wild type plants, wild type plant parts and/or wild type plant cells. Furthermore, the invention relates to transgenic plants, plant parts, and/or plant cells having an increased resistance against fungal pathogens, in particular, pathogens of the order Pucciniales, preferably the family Phacopsoraceae, and to recombinant expression vectors comprising a sequence that is identical or homologous to a sequence encoding an RLK1 protein.

The present invention is based, in part, on the identification of an IRE1α-XBP1-cMyc axis in NK cell immunity. The present invention provides compositions and methods for treating conditions that would benefit from modulating (e.g., upregulating or downregulating) an immune response using an agent that modulates the IRE1α-XBP1 pathway, or a composition comprising modified NK cells.

Drug targets, pathways, kits and methods for treating conditions related to neurodegeneration or ocular disease, are disclosed.

Drug targets, pathways, kits and methods for treating conditions related to neurodegeneration or ocular disease, are disclosed.

The invention provides compositions (e.g., pharmaceutical compositions) comprising nucleic acids encoding the serine/threonine kinase PIM-1, and methods for making and using them; including methods for inducing cellular proliferation, and protecting cardiac cells from hypoxia and cellular apoptosis. The invention provides compositions (e.g., pharmaceutical compositions) comprising nucleic acids encoding PIM-1, and methods for enhancing the regenerative potential of stem cells in the heart.

The invention is directed to methods of treating TNBC in a patient by administering to the patient an agent that inhibits the expression or activity of cyclin-dependent kinase 19 (CDK19). In some embodiments, the agent may be a small molecule inhibitor, a polynucleotide (e.g., shRNA. siRNA), or a protein (e.g., an antibody). In some embodiments, the agent does not inhibit the activity or expression of CDK8.

The present invention provides, in order to prepare matured hepatocytes analogous in various points to primary hepatocytes, a method for preparing hepatocytes or cells that can be differentiated into hepatocytes from pluripotent stem cells, comprising the steps of: (1) culturing the pluripotent stem cells in a medium containing an activator of an activin receptor-like kinase-4,7; (2) culturing the cells obtained in the step (1) in a medium containing a bone morphogenetic factor and a fibroblast growth factor; (3) culturing the cells obtained in the step (2) in a medium containing an activator of a hepatocyte growth factor receptor and an activator of an oncostatin M receptor; and (4) culturing the cells obtained in the step (3) to obtain hepatocytes or cells that can be differentiated into hepatocytes, wherein in at least one of the steps (2), (3) and (4), cells are cultured on a high-density collagen gel membrane.

Provided herein are methods, compounds, and compositions for reducing expression of a DMPK mRNA and protein in an animal. Also provided herein are methods, compounds, and compositions for preferentially reducing CUGexp DMPK RNA, reducing myotonia or reducing spliceopathy in an animal. Such methods, compounds, and compositions are useful to treat, prevent, delay, or ameliorate type 1 myotonic dystrophy, or a symptom thereof.

Phototropin is a blue light receptor, which mediates a variety of blue-light elicited physiological processes in plants and algae. In higher plants these processes include phototropism, chloroplast movement and stomatal opening. In the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, phototropin plays a vital role in progression of the sexual life cycle and in the control of the eye spot size and light sensitivity Phototropin is also involved in blue-light mediated changes in the synthesis of chlorophylls, carotenoids, chlorophyll binding proteins. We compared the transcriptome of phototropin knock out (PHOT KO) mutant and wild-type parent to analyze differences in gene expression in high light grown cultures (500 mol photons m.sup.2 s.sup.1). Our results indicate the up-regulation of genes involved in photosynthetic electron transport chain, carbon fixation pathway, starch, lipid, and cell cycle control genes. With respect to photosynthetic electron transport genes, genes encoding proteins of the cytochrome b6f and ATP synthase complex were up regulated potentially facilitating proton-coupled electron transfer. In addition genes involved in limiting steps in the Calvin cycle Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO), Sidoheptulose 1,7 bisphosphatase (SBPase), Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (3PGDH) and that mediate cell-cycle control (CDK) were also up regulated along with starch synthase and fatty acid biosynthesis genes involved in starch and lipid synthesis. In addition, transmission electron micrographs show increased accumulation of starch granules in PHOT mutant compared to wild type, which is consistent with the higher expression of starch synthase genes. Collectively, the altered patterns of gene expression in the PHOT mutants were associated with a two-fold increase in growth and biomass accumulation compared to wild type when grown in environmental photobioreactors (Phenometrics) that simulate a pond environment. In conclusion, our studies suggest that phototropin may be a master gene regulator that suppresses rapid cell growth and promotes gametogenesis and sexual recombination in wild type strains.

The use of Akt3 as a biomarker for detecting the occurrence of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in a subject, and the use of Akt3 inhibitors to treat cancer is disclosed herein. Also disclosed are various methods for detecting the occurrence of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in a subject by measuring Akt3 expression and/or activity.