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Publication

Neurogenin1 effectively reprograms cultured chick retinal pigment epithelial cells to differentiate toward photoreceptors.

The Journal of comparative neurology | 2010

Photoreceptors are highly specialized sensory neurons in the retina, and their degeneration results in blindness. Replacement with developing photoreceptor cells promises to be an effective therapy, but it requires a supply of new photoreceptors, because the neural retina in human eyes lacks regeneration capability. We report efficient generation of differentiating, photoreceptor-like neurons from chick retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells propagated in culture through reprogramming with neurogenin1 (ngn1). In reprogrammed culture, a large number of the cells (85.0% +/- 5.9%) began to differentiate toward photoreceptors. Reprogrammed cells expressed transcription factors that set in motion photoreceptor differentiation, including Crx, Nr2E3, NeuroD, and RXRgamma, and phototransduction pathway components, including transducin, cGMP-gated channel, and red opsin of cone photoreceptors (equivalent to rhodopsin of rod photoreceptors). They developed inner segments rich in mitochondria. Furthermore, they responded to light by decreasing their cellular free calcium (Ca(2+)) levels and responded to 9-cis-retinal by increasing their Ca(2+) levels after photobleaching, hallmarks of photoreceptor physiology. The high efficiency and the advanced photoreceptor differentiation indicate ngn1 as a gene of choice to reprogram RPE progeny cells to differentiate into photoreceptor neurons in future cell replacement studies.

Pubmed ID: 20029995 RIS Download

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None found

Additional research tools detected in this publication

DSHB (RRID:SCR_013527)

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Associated grants

Agency: NEI NIH HHS, United States
Id: R01 EY011640
Agency: NEI NIH HHS, United States
Id: R01 EY011640-09
Agency: NEI NIH HHS, United States
Id: R01 EY011640-10
Agency: NEI NIH HHS, United States
Id: EY11640

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DSHB (tool)

RRID:SCR_013527

An antibody supplier which banks and distributes hybridomas and monoclonal antibodies for use in research. The bank includes antibodies against targets such as GFP, transcription factors, stem cells, and human.

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