Cellular and molecular neurobiology
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Cell. Mol. Neurobiol. · Mar 2010
Neural stem/progenitor cells derived from the embryonic dorsal telencephalon of D6/GFP mice differentiate primarily into neurons after transplantation into a cortical lesion.
D6 is a promoter/enhancer of the mDach1 gene that is involved in the development of the neocortex and hippocampus. It is expressed by proliferating neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) of the cortex at early stages of neurogenesis. The differentiation potential of NSPCs isolated from embryonic day 12 mouse embryos, in which the expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) is driven by the D6 promoter/enhancer, has been studied in vitro and after transplantation into the intact adult rat brain as well as into the site of a photochemical lesion. ⋯ They were able to fire repetitive action potentials and responded to the application of GABA. Our results indicate that after transplantation into the site of a photochemical lesion, D6/GFP-derived NSPCs survive and differentiate into neurons, and their membrane properties are comparable to those transplanted into the non-injured cortex. Therefore, region-specific D6/GFP-derived NSPCs represent a promising tool for studying neurogenesis and cell replacement in a damaged cellular environment.