Figure 8

Transcriptional profiling of regionally distinct neural progenitor populations from mESC, and overview of differentiation. Transcriptional profiling of five neural progenitor populations, derived from naïve, ground state mESC, assessing key patterning and regionally localised genes including (A) Pax6, (B) Nkx2.1, (C) Gsx2, (D) Nhlh2, (E) Lmx1a, (F) TH, (G) Hoxa1 and (H) Zic1. Upregulation of select genes within given populations confirmed specificity of the differentiations. (I) Schematic overview illustrating the “priming” of ground state pluripotent stem cells (blue shading), to promote homogeneneous neuralisation (pink) of mouse PSC. Subsequent patterning (orange) and maturation of cells (green), through the time and dose-dependent administration of morphogens and small molecules, resulted in the generation of regionally distinct neuronal populations including those of the dorsal forebrain (DF)/cortex, rostral and caudal ventral forebrain (rVF, cVF), ventral midbrain (VM) and hindbrain (HB).