Open AccessMigration and Differentiation of Myogenic Precursors Following Transplantation into the Developing Rat Brain
Author(s) -
Steffel Jan,
Wernig Marius,
Knauf Ulrich,
Kumar Santhosh,
Wiestler Otmar D.,
Wernig Anton,
Brüstle Oliver
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
stem cells
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.159
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1549-4918
pISSN - 1066-5099
DOI - 10.1634/stemcells.21-2-181
Subject(s) - biology , neuroepithelial cell , transplantation , progenitor cell , microbiology and biotechnology , neural stem cell , myocyte , embryonic stem cell , neuroscience , cellular differentiation , olfactory bulb , stem cell , central nervous system , medicine , genetics , gene
There is increasing evidence that muscle‐derived precursor cells can, under appropriate conditions, give rise to other than myogenic cell types. Transplantation into the embryonic ventricular zone provides a unique opportunity to study the migration and differentiation of non‐neural somatic progenitor cells in response to instructive cues within the developing neuroepithelium. Here, we demonstrate that myogenic cell lines grafted into the ventricles of rat embryos showed widespread migration into several host brain compartments. In contrast to incorporation patterns observed after transplantation of neural cells, grafted myoblasts incorporated virtually exclusively along endogenous blood vessels. Preferential incorporation sites included cortex, olfactory bulb, hippocampus, striatum, thalamus, hypothalamus, and tectum. While the engrafted myoblasts showed no evidence of neural differentiation, a fraction exhibited pronounced coexpression of endothelial marker antigens. These findings support the concept of a close developmental relationship between the myogenic and the endothelial lineages. Used as a delivery system, transfected myoblasts may be exploited for widespread gene transfer to the perivascular compartment of the perinatal central nervous system.