Ascl1 expression defines a subpopulation of lineage-restricted progenitors in the mammalian retina.

ABSTRACT: The mechanisms of cell fate diversification in the retina are not fully understood. The seven principal cell types of the neural retina derive from a population of multipotent progenitors during development. These progenitors give rise to multiple cell types concurrently, suggesting that progenitors are a heterogeneous population. It is thought that differences in progenitor gene expression are responsible for differences in progenitor competence (i.e. potential) and, subsequently, fate diversification. To elucidate further the mechanisms of fate diversification, we assayed the expression of three transcription factors made by retinal progenitors: Ascl1 (Mash1), Ngn2 (Neurog2) and Olig2. We observed that progenitors were heterogeneous, expressing every possible combination of these transcr

SUBMITTER: Brzezinski JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3143566 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature