title: Defining a developmental path to neural fate by global expression profiling of mouse embryonic stem cells and adult neural stem/progenitor cells.
abstract: To understand global features of gene expression changes during in vitro neural differentiation, we carried out the microarray analysis of embryonic stem cells (ESCs), embryonal carcinoma cells, and adult neural stem/progenitor (NS) cells. Expression profiling of ESCs during differentiation in monolayer culture revealed three distinct phases: undifferentiated ESCs, primitive ectoderm-like cells, and neural progenitor cells. Principal component (PC) analysis revealed that these cells were aligned on PC1 over the course of 6 days. This PC1 represents approximately 4,000 genes, the expression of which increased with neural commitment/differentiation. Furthermore, NS cells derived from adult brain and their differentiated cells were positioned along this PC axis further away from undifferentiated ESCs than embryonic stem-derived neural progenitors. We suggest that this PC1 defines a path to neural fate, providing a scale for the degree of commitment/differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Developmental Genomics and Aging Section, Laboratory of Genetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA.
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aiba
authors.forename: Alexei A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Sharov
authors.forename: Mark G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Foroni
authors.forename: Angelo L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Vescovi
authors.forename: Minoru S H
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Ko
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D051379:Mice; D039902:Multipotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D039901:Totipotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*