title: Classification of subpopulations of cells within human primary brain tumors by single cell gene expression profiling.
abstract: Brain tumors are heterogeneous with respect to genetic and histological properties of cells within the tumor tissue. To study subpopulations of cells, we developed a protocol for obtaining viable single cells from freshly isolated human brain tissue for single cell gene expression profiling. We evaluated this technique for characterization of cell populations within brain tumor and tumor penumbra. Fresh tumor tissue was obtained from one astrocytoma grade IV and one oligodendroglioma grade III tumor as well as the tumor penumbra of the latter tumor. The tissue was dissociated into individual cells and the expression of 36 genes was assessed by reverse transcription quantitative PCR followed by data analysis. We show that tumor cells from both the astrocytoma grade IV and oligodendroglioma grade III tumor constituted cell subpopulations defined by their gene expression profiles. Some cells from the oligodendroglioma grade III tumor proper shared molecular characteristics with the cells from the penumbra of the same tumor suggesting that a subpopulation of cells within the oligodendroglioma grade III tumor consisted of normal brain cells. We conclude that subpopulations of tumor cells can be identified by using single cell gene expression profiling.
authors.affiliation: Center for Brain Repair and Rehabilitation, Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Box 440, 405 30, Göteborg, Sweden, elin.mollerstrom@neuro.gu.se.
authors.forename: Elin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Möllerström
authors.forename: Bertil
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rydenhag
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.forename: Isabell
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lebkuechner
authors.forename: Till B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Puschmann
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ulrika
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wilhelmsson
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ståhlberg
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Malmgren
authors.forename: Milos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pekny
mesh_terms: D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009837:Oligodendroglioma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D059010:Single-Cell Analysis