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Symposium 10: Differentiation Plasticity of Stem Cells. Direct differentiation of radial glial cells from embryonic stem cells
Author(s) -
Liour S. S.,
Yu R. K.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1046/j.1471-4159.81.s1.52_1.x
Subject(s) - gliogenesis , microbiology and biotechnology , neurosphere , biology , embryonic stem cell , neurogenesis , neural stem cell , stem cell , cellular differentiation , neuroepithelial cell , neuroglia , astrocyte , neuroscience , adult stem cell , central nervous system , genetics , gene
The major role of radial glial cells in neuronal development is to provide support and guidance for neuronal migration. In vitro , neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes have also been generated from neural stem cells and embryonic stem cells, but the generation of radial glial cells in vitro has not yet been reported. Since radial glial cells can lead to neurons and astrocytes during brain development, neurogenesis and gliogenesis of stem cells in vitro may at least in part also utilize the same mechanisms. To test this hypothesis, we utilized five different clones of embryonic (ES) and embryonal carcinoma (EC) stem cell lines to investigate the differentiation of radial glial cells during in vitro neural differentiation. Here, we demonstrate that radial glial cells can be generated from ES/EC cell lines. These ES/EC cell‐derived radial glial cells are similar in morphology to radial glial cells in vivo . They also express several cytoskeletal markers that are characteristics of radial glial cells in vivo . The processes of these in vitro ‐generated radial glial cells are organized into scaffolds that appear to support the migration of newly generated neurons in culture. Like radial glial cells in vivo , they appear to differentiate subsequently into astrocytes. Differentiation of radial glial cells may be a common pathway during in vitro neural differentiation of ES cells. This novel in vitro model system may facilitate the investigation of regulation of radial glial cell differentiation and its biological function. Acknowledgements: Supported by USPHS Grant NS11853 and a grant from the Children's Medical Research Foundation.