Directed neural differentiation of human embryonic stem cells via an obligated primitive anterior stage.

ABSTRACT: Understanding neuroectoderm formation and subsequent diversification to functional neural subtypes remains elusive. We show here that human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) differentiate to primitive neuroectoderm after 8-10 days. At this stage, cells uniformly exhibit columnar morphology and express neural markers, including anterior but not posterior homeodomain proteins. The anterior identity of these cells develops regardless of morphogens present during initial neuroectoderm specification. This anterior phenotype can be maintained or transformed to a caudal fate with specific morphogens over the next week, when cells become definitive neuroepithelia, marked by neural tube-like structures with distinct adhesion molecule expression, Sox1 expression, and a resistance to additional patterning

SUBMITTER: Pankratz MT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2743478 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature