Identification and characterization of neuronal precursors and their progeny from human fetal tissue.
We have examined primary human neuronal precursors (HNPs) from 18-22-week-old fetuses. We showed that E-NCAM/MAP2/beta-III tubulin-immunoreactive neuronal precursors divide in vitro and could be induced to differentiate into mature neurons in 2 weeks. HNPs did not express nestin and differentiated slowly compared to rodent neuronal restricted precursors (NRPs, 5 days). Immunocytochemical and physiological analyses showed that HNPs could generate a heterogeneous population of neurons that expressed neurofilament-associated protein and various neurotransmitters, neurotransmitter synthesizing enzymes, voltage-gated ion channels, and ligand-gated neurotransmitter receptors and could fire action potentials. Undifferentiated and differentiated HNPs did not coexpress glial markers. Only a subset of cells that expressed GFP under the control of the Talpha1 tubulin promoter was E-NCAM/beta-III tubulin-immunoreactive, indicating nonexclusive overlap between these two HNP cell populations. Overall, HNPs resemble NRPs isolated from rodent tissue and appear to be a neuronal precursor population.
Piper
D R
DR
Department of Physiology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
Mujtaba
T
T
Keyoung
H
H
Roy
N S
NS
Goldman
S A
SA
Rao
M S
MS
Lucero
M T
MT
D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005333:Fetus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D064231:Nestin; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism; D016501:Neurites / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000494:pharmacology; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000502:physiology; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D014404:Tubulin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D007473:Ion Channels; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; C577484:NES protein, human; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D064231:Nestin; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D014404:Tubulin; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine