Isolation of neuronal precursors by sorting embryonic forebrain transfected with GFP regulated by the T alpha 1 tubulin promoter.

Neuronal precursor cells are widespread in the forebrain ventricular/subventricular zone, and may provide a cellular substrate for brain repair. Clonal lines derived from single progenitors can become progressively less representative of their parental precursors with time and passage in vitro. We have developed an alternative strategy for the isolation and enrichment of precursor cells, by fluorescence-activated cell sorting of forebrain cells transfected with the gene for green fluorescent protein, driven by the neuronal T alpha 1 tubulin promoter. Using this approach, neural precursors and young neurons can be identified and selectively harvested from a variety of samples, including both avian and mammalian forebrains at different developmental stages.