Neural differentiation of human embryonic stem cells as an in vitro tool for the study of the expression patterns of the neuronal cytoskeleton during neurogenesis.
The neural differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) is a potential tool for elucidating the key mechanisms involved in human neurogenesis. Nestin and β-III-tubulin, which are cytoskeleton proteins, are marker proteins of neural stem cells (NSCs) and neurons, respectively. However, the expression patterns of nestin and β-III-tubulin in neural derivatives from human ESCs remain unclear. In this study, we found that neural progenitor cells (NPCs) derived from H9 cells express high levels of nestin and musashi-1. In contrast, β-III-tubulin was weakly expressed in a few NPCs. Moreover, in these cells, nestin formed filament networks, whereas β-III-tubulin was distributed randomly as small particles. As the differentiation proceeded, the nestin filament networks and the β-III-tubulin particles were found in both the cell soma and the cellular processes. Moreover, the colocalization of nestin and β-III-tubulin was found mainly in the cell processes and neurite-like structures and not in the cell soma. These results may aid our understanding of the expression patterns of nestin and β-III-tubulin during the neural differentiation of H9 cells.
Department of Histology and Embryology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China; Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology (BioMET), University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Institute of Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China. Electronic address: chaol1974@ahmu.edu.cn.
Chao
C
Liu
Yongwang
Y
Zhong
Andria
A
Apostolou
Shengyun
S
Fang
D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism*; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D064231:Nestin; D055495:Neurogenesis; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014404:Tubulin / Q000378:metabolism
D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; C491297:MSI1 protein, human; C577484:NES protein, human; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D064231:Nestin; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; C498585:TUBB3 protein, human; D014404:Tubulin
Beta-III-tubulin; CNS; ESC; H9 cell; HTT; Human embryonic stem cell; IF; IFA; NPC; NSC; Nestin; Neural differentiation; PNS; RA; central nervous system; embryonic stem cell; huntingtin; immunofluorescence assay; intermediate filament; neural progenitor cell; neural stem cell; peripheral nervous system; retinoic acid