Molecular characterization of directly induced forebrain GABAergic interneurons from human pluripotent stem cells

• Main Author: Wang, Danlei
• Other Authors: Hyunsoo Shawn Je
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: DRNTU::Science::Biological sciences
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/67888
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Ectopic expression of transcription factors can direct the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into various cell types. In this study, we examined the neuronal induction capacity of a combination of transcription factors, ASCL1, DLX2, LHX6, and microRNA miR9/9*-124. With immunocytochemistry and quantitative real-time PCR, it was demonstrated that forced expression of the factor combination was able to induce human pluripotent stem cells to rapidly acquire nearly homogenous forebrain GABAergic interneuron identity and mature both morphologically and molecularly. Somatostatin-positive neuron was the dominant GABAergic interneuron subtype observed. The results suggest that the induced neurons have the potential of being used as a novel model for studying the pathological mechanisms of GABAergic interneuron dysfunctions in human neurological diseases.