Generation of a USP9Y knockout human embryonic stem cell line with CRISPR-Cas9 technology.

Human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines are vital tools for studying gene function, disease modeling, and therapy. We generated a USP9Y knockout hESC line using CRISPR-Cas9 in the male-derived H1 line. Targeted deletion of the USP9Y gene was confirmed via PCR and sequencing.

Should sons breed independently or help? Local relatedness matters.

In cooperatively breeding birds, why do some individuals breed independently but others have to help at home? This question has been rarely addressed despite its fundamental importance for understanding the evolution of social cooperation. We address it using 15 years of data from Tibetan ground tits Pseudopodoces humilis where helpers consist of younger males. Since whether younger males successfully breed depends critically on their chances to occupy territories nearby home, our analytic strategy is to identify the determinants of individual differences in gaining territory ownership among these ready-to-breed males.

Insights into the Global Transcriptome Response of Mycelia during Aging.

The spawn of and other basidiomycete fungi tend to age with long-term culture. This causes heavy yield losses if aging spawn is used for propagation. In this study, we cultivated dikaryotic mycelia in plates for 60 days to produce intrinsic aging phenotypes.