title: In vitro generation of early-born neurons from late retinal progenitors.
abstract: Evidence suggests that, as development ensues, the competence of neural progenitors is progressively altered, such that they become fated to give rise to neurons of a particular stage. Here, we demonstrate that late retinal progenitors can give rise to retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), an example of an early-born cell type in the retina. A subset of late retinal progenitors in vitro responds to cues that favor RGC differentiation by displaying markers characteristic of RGCs. In addition, mechanisms used during normal RGC differentiation are recruited by these cells toward their differentiation along RGC lineage. Our observations suggest that late neural progenitors may not be irreversibly fated but may appear as such under the constraints dictated by epigenetic cues.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-7691, USA.
authors.forename: Jackson
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: Ani V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Sumitra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhattacharya
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Chacko
authors.forename: Xing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Iqbal
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ahmad
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division; D019070:Cell Lineage; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002642:Chick Embryo; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D051880:Receptors, Notch; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D017948:Retinal Rod Photoreceptor Cells / Q000166:cytology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D006133:Growth Substances; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051880:Receptors, Notch; D014157:Transcription Factors; C064045:delta protein