Figure 2

Endogenous Nurr1 and Foxa2 expression patterns during development are recapitulated in NPC cultures by exogenous expression driven by pUb in lentiviral transduction and pLTR in retroviral transduction. (a, b) Nurr1 and Foxa2 expression patterns in the developing VMs of mouse embryos at E10.5 and E12 (a) and SN in adult midbrain (b). Proliferating cells in VZ were labeled with PCNA (a) and DA neurons were labeled with TH (a, b). Shown in the bottom row of b are individual and merged images of Nurr1, Foxa2 and TH staining of the boxed area. Scale bar; 100 μm. (c, d) Exogenous Nurr1 and Foxa2 expression levels were induced in NPCs derived from the mouse embryonic cortex using transduction with Retro-pLTR vector (middle row) or Lenti-pUb vector (last row). Exogenous expression patterns were compared with those of endogenous Nurr1 and Foxa2 expressions during in vitro differentiation of NPCs derived from rat embryonic VM at E12 (upper row). Data in graphs are means±s.e.m.’s of % immunoreactive cells (n=10 microscopic fields). Scale bar, 20 μm. DA, dopamine; LTR, long terminal repeat; PCNA, proliferating cell nuclear antigen; SN, substantia nigra; TH, tyrosine hydroxylase.