James Jackson, Das Ani V, Bhattacharya Sumitra, Chacko David M, Zhao Xing, Ahmad Iqbal
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-7691, USA.
J Neurosci. 2003 Sep 10;23(23):8193-203. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.23-23-08193.2003.
Evidence suggests that, as development ensues, the competence of neural progenitors is progressively altered, such that they become fated to give rise to neurons of a particular stage. Here, we demonstrate that late retinal progenitors can give rise to retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), an example of an early-born cell type in the retina. A subset of late retinal progenitors in vitro responds to cues that favor RGC differentiation by displaying markers characteristic of RGCs. In addition, mechanisms used during normal RGC differentiation are recruited by these cells toward their differentiation along RGC lineage. Our observations suggest that late neural progenitors may not be irreversibly fated but may appear as such under the constraints dictated by epigenetic cues.
有证据表明，随着发育的进行，神经祖细胞的能力会逐渐改变，从而使它们注定会产生特定阶段的神经元。在此，我们证明晚期视网膜祖细胞能够产生视网膜神经节细胞（RGCs），这是视网膜中一种早期生成的细胞类型的实例。体外培养的一部分晚期视网膜祖细胞通过展示RGCs特有的标志物来响应有利于RGC分化的信号。此外，这些细胞利用正常RGC分化过程中所使用的机制，朝着RGC谱系方向进行分化。我们的观察结果表明，晚期神经祖细胞可能并非不可逆转地注定如此，而是可能在表观遗传线索所规定的限制条件下表现成这样。
