An analysis of the gene expression program of mammalian neural progenitor cells

A diverse range of neural cell types is generated from a pool of dividing stem and progenitor cells in an orderly manner during development. Little is known of the molecular and cellular biology underpinning the intrinsic control of this process. We have used a nonbiased method to purify populations of neural progenitor cells from the murine CNS to characterize the gene expression program of mammalian retinal progenitor cells. Analysis of these data led to the identification of a core set of >800 transcripts enriched in retinal progenitor cells compared to both their immediate postmitotic progeny and to differentiated neurons. This core set was found to be shared by progenitors in other regions of the developing CNS, with important regional differences in key functional families. In addition to providing an expression fingerprint of this cell type, this set highlights several key aspects of progenitor biology.